Alas Pilipinas Men opened their 2026 SEA Men’s V Cup second-leg campaign on a losing note after absorbing a straight-sets defeat to Leg 1 champion Cambodia, 20-25, 21-25, 20-25, on Thursday at the Jakarta International Velodrome.
The setback came just a week after the Filipinos pushed the Cambodians to the limit in their first meeting during the opening leg in Candon, Ilocos Sur, where Cambodia escaped with a hard-fought five-set victory.
This time, however, Cambodia dictated the pace from the opening serve, keeping Alas Pilipinas at bay to secure its second win over the Filipinos in the tournament.
Alas Pilipinas Shows Signs of Life
Despite trailing for most of the match, the Philippines threatened to extend the contest in the third set after Joshua Magalaman broke a 19-all deadlock with a quick attack. A hitting error from Kuon Mom then handed Alas Pilipinas a 21-19 cushion.
Cambodia responded immediately behind Veasna Vourne, who fueled a decisive run to erase the deficit and restore his side’s advantage. Magalaman kept the Filipinos within striking distance with another quick hit, but Cambodia stayed composed in the closing stretch.
After Vourne and Jude Garcia exchanged points to level the score at 24-all, Mom delivered a cross-court kill to move Cambodia to match point. Garcia’s next attack sailed long, allowing the Cambodians to complete the sweep.
Alas Pilipinas now turns its attention to host Indonesia on Friday in a crucial Pool A clash. A victory would not only avenge their Leg 1 defeat to the Indonesians but also keep their semifinal aspirations alive by creating a three-way tie in the group standings.
