A younger Alas Pilipinas will compete in the upcoming 2025 SEA Men’s V.League in Candon City, Ilocos Sur, from July 11-13, as national team mainstays Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas weren’t included in the lineup as they continue to recover from injuries.

Espejo suffered an injury when Alas Pilipinas was competing in the 2025 AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup, while Bagunas was still not 100% healthy after suffering an ACL Injury in 2024.

Without the two power spikers, Alas Pilipinas will rely on outside hitters Kennedy Batas, Louie Ramirez, Jackson Reed, Buds Buddin, and Jade Disquitado.

Peng Taguibolos, Kim Malabunga, and Lloyd Josafat will be sharing the middle blocker duties, while Steven Rotter and Leo Ordiales will be manning the opposite position.

Joshua Retamar and Jerico Adajar will orchestrate the offense of Alas Pilipinas as the team’s setters, while Josh Ybañez and Vince Lorenzo will sweep the back row.

Here’s a more detailed look at the lineup of Alas Pilipinas in the 2025 SEA Men’s V.League.

Outside Spikers: Batas, Ramirez, Reed, Buddin, Disquitado

Without Espejo and Baguna, three-time NCAA MVP Louie Ramirez will be the main gunner of Alas Pilipinas. Currently playing for the Cignal HD Spikers in the Spikers’ Turf, Ramirez has won multiple championships with the team.

Buds Buddin was awarded as one of the Best Outside Spikers in both legs of the 2024 SEA Men’s V.League, where Alas Pilipinas won bronze twice.

Filipino-American Jackson Reed, who was part of the pool last year among the selected half-Filipino aspirants, is also part of the deep pool of outside hitters alongside Jade Disquitado, who provided a steady hand in National University’s Bulldogs’ five-peat championship when Buddin was injured.

Replacing Espejo in the lineup is reigning UAAP MVP Kennedy Batas.

Blockers: Taguibolos, Malabunga, Josafat

Kim Malabunga was part of the team that won two bronze medals in the 2024 SEA Men’s V.League. In the first week, he was one of the Best Middle Blockers.

Rwenzmel Taguibolos is part of the National University Bulldogs, which has won multiple UAAP championships. Taguibolos may be one of the young ones, but also one of the tallest in the team at 6”6.

Lloyd Josafat is also part of the Cignal HD Spikers, where he plays as a middle blocker. As part of the team, he has already won four gold medals in several leagues.

Opposite Spikers: Rotter, Ordiales

Steve Rotter played for two seasons for the Long Beach City College volleyball team before taking his talents to California State University, Northridge, where he was able to play in the US NCAA Division I. He was the Best Opposite Spiker in the first leg of the 2023 SEA Men’s V.League.

Leo Ordiales was instrumental in multiple championships of the National University Bulldogs in the UAAP. In the 2025 AVC Men’s Nations Cup, Ordiales was a steady backup to Rotter when he was struggling.

Setter: Retamar, Adajar

Without Espejo and Bagunas, Joshua Retamar will provide the leadership experience that Alas Pilipinas needs on the court. A veteran in the national team, Retamar was the main setter of the Philippines when the country won a historic silver medal in the 30th SEA Games in 2019.

For the second straight tournament, Jerico Adajar will be playing backup to Retamar. Adajar already showed that he has the ability to orchestrate the offense of the team, especially when he played long minutes in the 2025 AVC Nations Cup.

Libero: Ybañez, Lorenzo

Once again, Josh Ybañez of the University of Santo Tomas Golden Spikers will be the main libero of the team after his spectacular performance in the Nations Cup.

Cignal HD Spikers libero Vince Lorenzo will be helping Ybañez in the back court as Jack Kalingking takes a rest.