THAT historic night for Philippine men’s volleyball in Pasig six years ago is set to have its encore in Bangkok under strikingly familiar circumstances.
Just like in 2019, the Philippines will face Thailand in the semifinals of the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games on Thursday, with a berth in the gold medal match at stake.
Alas Pilipinas Men will once again lean on four holdovers from that history-making 2019 squad in captain Bryan Bagunas, Marck Espejo, Owa Retamar and Kim Malabunga.
READ: Alas Men drop straight sets to Indonesia in non-bearing match
That quartet anchored a herculean 17-25, 25-20, 23-25, 27-25, 17-15 semifinal upset that dethroned then-defending champion Thailand six years ago, capped by a thunderous Bagunas attack in an extended fifth-set tiebreak.
Thailand, for its part, also brings back four veterans from that 2019 edition in star opposite hitter Amorntep Konhan, middle blockers Kissada Nilsawai and Anuchit Pakdeekaew and then-reserve setter Boonyarid Wongtorn.
Safe to say, much has changed since that unforgettable contest.
Advantage, Thailand
Fast forward to 2025, the Philippines and Thailand have already crossed paths four times this calendar year ahead of their SEA Games semifinal rematch.
The Thais won three of those meetings, with Alas Men claiming one.
That lone Philippine victory came at the conclusion of the three-day Alas Pilipinas Invitationals last June at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, a test event for the country’s eventual hosting of the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship three months later.
Celebrating Independence Day, the Nationals stunned Thailand at home in a 21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 21-25, 15-12 five-set thriller, powered by Espejo’s 31-point explosion that outdueled Konhan’s 24.
Thailand responded emphatically in the three meetings that followed.
Just over a week later, the Thais swept Alas Men, 25-21, 25-20, 25-18, in the classification phase of the 2025 AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup, where Thailand finished ninth and the Philippines 10th. Buds Buddin led the Nationals in that match with eight points, while Espejo was limited to just one.
The next two encounters came in the two legs of the SEA V.League. Thailand completed a straight-sets win in Leg 1 in Candon City, 25-16, 25-22, 26-24, before pulling off a five-set reverse sweep in Leg 2 in Jakarta, 18-25, 18-25, 25-14, 25-23, 15-7.
Heading into the SEA Games semifinals, Thailand carries strong momentum after sweeping Group A with a 3-0 record, dropping just one set to Singapore before dispatching Laos and Vietnam with ease.
The Philippines, meanwhile, split its Group B assignments, sweeping Myanmar before falling to Indonesia, finishing as the second seed.
Six years on, the stage is set once more with a few familiar faces for familiar rivals and the same prize on the line.
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