ALAS Pilipinas Men clinched an outright berth in the semifinals of the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games men’s volleyball tournament after advancing out of Group B with a game to spare.
The Philippines benefited from three-time defending champion Indonesia’s straight-sets victory over Myanmar, 25–15, 25–22, 25–19, on Monday, handing the Burmese side its second loss in the three-team group.
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With Myanmar falling to 0–2, the Philippines and Indonesia have officially secured the top two spots in Group B and are through to the crossover semifinals.
The result guarantees the Nationals at least a top-four finish for just the third time in the last 14 SEA Games after winning bronze in 1997 and a silver on home soil in 2019.
Alas Men set the tone early in the tournament after opening their campaign with a straight-sets win over Myanmar on Saturday, 25–23, 25–20, 25–21.
Despite already booking semifinal tickets, the Philippines still has unfinished business in the group stage, as it closes out Group B play against fellow unbeaten powerhouse Indonesia on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. (Manila time).
That matchup will determine final group seedings heading into the knockout phase, where the top two teams from Group B will cross over against Group A qualifiers Vietnam and Thailand.
Both Vietnam and Thailand remain unbeaten at 2–0 heading into their own group-stage finale, setting the stage for a highly competitive semifinal round as the Philippines seeks to build on its breakthrough run and push deeper into medal contention.
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