ALAS Pilipinas Men needed every bit of composure down the stretch to fend off a gritty Myanmar squad, 25–23, 25–20, 25–21, and kick off its 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games campaign with a hard-earned win on Saturday at the Hua Mark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok.
Bryan Bagunas delivered the finishing touch in a surprisingly competitive opener, scoring six of the last 10 points to cap his 18-point game and help move the Nationals a step closer to the semifinals.
Unranked in the FIVB World Rankings, the Burmese nonetheless made Alas Men sweat, as they stayed within striking distance during the early stretches of each set and refused to roll over.
The match remained tight throughout, but the Philippines leaned on its sharp late-set execution to pull away and put the contest out of Myanmar’s reach.
Alas Men digging deep
Back and forth the contest went from the opening whistle, with the Burmese ahead for much of the first set and even leading by as much as five at 21-16.
A crucial Myanmar service error opened the door for Alas Men to stage a comeback, sparked by an unlikely one-two punch from Marck Espejo and SEA Games debutant Al-Bukharie Sali.
Sali, stepping in as Leo Ordiales’ understudy in the opposite hitter slot in that first frame, made an immediate impact off the bench to help Alas Men grab the early lead.
Errors were plentiful on both sides, with the Filipinos committing nine of 23 total faults in the second set alone.
That tightly-contested frame saw Alas Men gain a firmer grip on the match only for a late four-point Myanmar swing, fueled by two Philippine errors, to cut the lead to just one at 21-20.
The Filipinos responded emphatically with a 4-0 run to snuff out Myanmar’s comeback, powered by back-to-back Bagunas attacks, a quick hit from middle blocker Lloyd Josafat and a set-clinching ace from Jade Disquitado.
Leo Ordiales also played a key role in that set with a three-point run of his own to widen the gap further before a last-ditch Burmese challenge.
In the third set, Myanmar barely had a chance to regain momentum before middle blockers Peng Taguibolos and Kim Malabunga set the tone with early attacks.
From there, the formidable Bagunas-Espejo-Ordiales trio combined for 38 huge points, 10 apiece for the latter two, and slammed the door shut for a hard-fought first win.
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