ALAS Pilipinas Men get another shot at a familiar opponent when they begin their Asian Games classification-stage campaign against Indonesia on Thursday.
But this time, the stakes are different.
READ: Alas Men end Asiad group stage winless after loss to Chinese Taipei
With no wins to show for its Pool D campaign, Alas now enters the classification round needing to string together victories simply to keep its final placing from slipping further.
The Nationals were swept by both Korea and China before dropping a four-setter to Chinese Taipei, finishing fourth in their group.
Indonesia also came through a difficult Pool B, finishing third after five-set losses to Thailand and Iran and a straight-set victory over Kyrgyzstan.
The Indonesians, however, are hardly an unfamiliar challenge for Alas.
The two teams met twice in the 2026 SEA V.Cup last July, with Indonesia taking both matches. Alas was swept in the opening leg before Indonesia secured another victory in four sets in the second.
Thursday, then, gives the Nationals an immediate opportunity to reverse a pattern that has followed them throughout the year.
A victory sends Alas into the next phase of the placement rounds against the winner of Vietnam and Uzbekistan, keeping alive its bid for a stronger finish in the classification standings.
That path, however, comes with added expectations. Alas finished 13th at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, its lowest placing in the competition.
Defeat on Thursday would leave the Nationals facing an uphill battle to avoid slipping below it.
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