Alas Pilipinas wrapped up their 2026 SEA V Cup campaign with a straight-sets victory over Myanmar, 28-26, 25-17, 25-23, on Saturday at the Jakarta International Velodrome in Indonesia to secure fifth place in the tournament’s second leg.
The result mirrored the Philippines’ finish in the opening leg in Candon City, Ilocos Sur, where the national team also placed fifth after defeating Myanmar in the classification match.
Alas Pilipinas Survives Tight First Set
The Filipinos were pushed to the limit in a tightly contested opening set, needing four set points before finally breaking through. With the score deadlocked late, Lirick Mendoza fired a down-the-line attack to move Alas Pilipinas to set point before Htoo Bhone Myat Aung sent his attack long—allowing the Philippines to escape with a hard-earned 28-26 win.
That momentum carried into the succeeding frames as Alas Pilipinas settled into its rhythm, dictating the pace in the second set before fending off Myanmar’s late challenge in the third to complete the sweep.
Mendoza once again led the way for the Philippines, finishing with a match-high 21 points on 19 attacks, 1 block, and 1 ace. Louie Ramirez chipped in 11 points, while team captain Lloyd Josafat anchored the effort with 9 points, highlighted by 3 blocks.
Myanmar leaned on Aung Myo Kyaw, who was the team’s lone double-digit scorer with 10 points.
While another fifth-place finish fell short of the podium, Alas Pilipinas closed the tournament on a positive note, earning back-to-back victories over Myanmar across both SEA V Cup legs as the squad continues to build chemistry and gain valuable experience against Southeast Asia’s top volleyball nations.
