Alas Pilipinas opened its 2026 SEA Men’s V.League campaign on a sour note after absorbing a stunning 25‑23, 28‑30, 25‑20, 22‑25, 15‑8 loss to Cambodia on Wednesday at the Candon City Arena.
The defeat immediately puts the Philippines in a must‑win situation against defending AVC Men’s Nations Cup champion Indonesia on Friday at 5:30 p.m. if it hopes to advance from Pool A and reach the knockout stage.
Despite fielding a newly assembled squad, Alas Pilipinas showed flashes of promise, forcing a deciding fifth set behind the efforts of national team debutants Jude Garcia and Lirick Mendoza, as well as FIVB Men’s World Championship veteran Louie Ramirez.
Garcia admitted the loss was difficult to take but believes the team can learn from the experience.
“Sobrang nakaka‑overwhelm kasi given naman na bagong team kami na binuo dito sa SEA V.League, pero alam naman natin na pinakita naman lahat ng bawat isa kung paano maglaro, tapos ‘yung kapit sa game na ’to pero kinapos lang. Pero ayun nga, sabi ni coach Frigoni, matuto kami sa pagkatalo na ’to,” Garcia said.
Alas Pilipinas’s Comeback Bid Stalled
The Philippines appeared poised to complete its comeback after closing the fourth set with a decisive 3‑1 run to level the match at two sets apiece.
Cambodia, however, dominated the fifth set from the outset.
Powered by Voeurn Veasna, Pin Sarun, Kuon Mom, and Phol Ratanak, the Cambodians raced to an 11‑4 lead and never looked back, sealing the historic victory in two hours and 14 minutes.
The Philippines also struggled with its own mistakes, committing 46 unforced errors throughout the match.
Veasna spearheaded Cambodia with a match‑high 33 points, built on 28 attacks, 3 blocks, and 2 aces. Mom added 11 points, while Ratanak contributed 10, highlighted by 4 blocks. Sarun chipped in 8 markers as Cambodia secured its first‑ever victory in the tournament after going winless (0‑8) in its debut campaign last year.
Middle blocker Joshua Magalaman provided one of the few bright spots for Alas Pilipinas, scoring a team‑high 21 points on 15 attacks, 4 blocks, and 2 aces in his senior national team debut.
Garcia finished with 20 points, Ramirez added 17, Al‑Bukharie Sali contributed 10, while converted opposite hitter Mendoza chipped in 8 markers.
Other Results
Earlier in the day, Thailand bounced back from dropping the second set to defeat Vietnam, 33‑31, 18‑25, 25‑19, 25‑16, in Pool B.
Team captain Amornthep Khonhan sparked the turnaround after entering in the third set, finishing with 14 points on 10 attacks, 3 blocks, and an ace despite playing only the final two sets.
Chaiwat Thungkham paced Thailand with 21 points, while Nadapet Bhinijdee added 19. Nguyen Ngoc Thuan and Pham Quoc Du led Vietnam with 16 points apiece.
