Alas Men falter vs Thais, absorb heartbreaking SEA V. League reverse sweep

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Alas Pilipinas Men fail to sustain their unexpected early momentum against volleyball powerhouse Thailand, falling in five sets after leading the first two as their podium hopes fade anew

MANILA, Philippines – Just when the Filipinos thought the Thais were on the ropes, the regional powerhouse found a way to flip the script.

Alas Pilipinas Men came one set shy of a monumental win before defending SEA V. League champion Thailand turned the tide in a five-set heartbreaker, 18-25, 18-25, 25-14, 25-23, 15-7, in the tournament’s second leg at the Jakarta International Velodrome in Indonesia on Saturday, July 19.

Alas had everything going for them in the first two sets until the Thais got their groove in the latter periods to avoid an upset. The loss made the Philippines’ medal hopes bleaker as they dropped to 1-2 in the standings, good for the fourth spot.

The Filipinos now have to hope for a Thailand win against Indonesia on top of a victory against Vietnam to get a crack at a podium finish.

Alas got a sniff of the win in the fourth set after rallying from a 15-19 hole to come within one point late, 23-24, courtesy of a Leo Ordiales hit.

However, Thailand leaned on Kissada Nilsawai, who put on the final touches to force the deciding set.

Alas could not rediscover their magic earlier in the match in the final frame as the Thais’ net defense did wonders to complete their reverse sweep, breaking loose from a slim one-point lead, 6-5, to a 9-2 finishing blast for the victory.

In the third set, bannered by Kissada and captain Amorntep Khonhan, Thailand also pulled away in the latter half of the frame, recovering from an early 10-9 Alas lead for a dominant finish that sparked the comeback.

The Philippines also lost to Thailand in the Candon leg of the tournament via a sweep. The Filipinos also yielded to the Thais in the 2025 AVC Nations Cup in five sets.

Alas will be playing Vietnam on Sunday, July 20, at the same venue at 5 pm to cap off the tournament’s second leg and determine its podium fate. – Rappler.com