Alas Pilipinas Men closed their 20th Asian Games group stage without a win after falling to Chinese Taipei, 21‑25, 25‑20, 25‑17, 27‑29, on Tuesday at Park Arena Komaki in Aichi‑Nagoya, Japan.
The Philippines battled back from a 16‑19 deficit in the fourth set and came within 1 point of forcing a deciding frame, but Chinese Taipei held its ground to send Alas to a 0‑3 record and last place in Pool D.
Alas Pilipinas Men Show Heart But Fall Short
Late in the set, Alas sparked an unanswered 3‑0 run to tie the match at 19‑all. The Philippines then took a one‑point lead, 23‑22, after an attack from Bryan Bagunas. Alas continued to fight back as the set went into deuce, but Chang Yu‑Sheng ended the game with back‑to‑back attacks.
Bagunas once again led the Philippines, finishing with 17 points on 13 attacks, 2 aces, and 2 blocks. Joshua Magalaman added 16 points, including 11 attacks and 5 blocks, while Leo Ordiales and Marck Espejo contributed 8 and 6 points, respectively.
Chang Yu‑Chen led Chinese Taipei with 24 points, while Chang Yu‑Sheng finished with 19.
Alas Pilipinas Men will begin the classification round against Indonesia on Thursday, October 1, with both teams looking to stay alive in the race for a higher finish after missing out on the quarterfinals.
