Alas Pilipinas Men fend off Cambodia, keep slim gold-medal hopes alive

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The Philippine men’s volleyball team pulls off a win for a three-way logjam as the SEA V. League heads to a thrilling homestretch in Ilocor Sur

ILOCOS SUR, Philippines – Alas Pilipinas Men secured another win in the Candon leg of the 5th SEA Men’s V. League after conquering pesky Cambodia, 25-21, 25-27, 32-30, 23-25, 15-8, at the Candon Arena here on Saturday, July 12. 

Jade Disquitado fired a game-high 24 points off the bench, 15 comng from a tight third set, 32-30. 

His NU Bulldogs teammates Leo Ordiales (22 points) and Buds Buddin (19 points ) also stepped up to provide additional firepower from the wing position. 

With the five-set win, the Philippines still holds slim hopes of a gold after forcing a three-way tie at 2-1 with Indonesia and Thailand.

To stay in the hunt, Alas must win against the Indonesians in straight sets in the 6 pm nightcap on Sunday, July 13. Even a win beyond three sets will deny the Philippines of the gold. 

Moreover, the Nationals must hope for either a Cambodia win over Thailand in the other match, or a five-set win by the Thais against their opponents. 

Despite the tough uphill climb, head coach Angiolino Frigoni likes what he sees from the young squad comprised mostly of collegiate and Fil-Am stars. 

“We are playing every time for a win… we don’t play against ourselves but our opponents,” Alas head coach Angiolino Frigoni said after the game.

“If we played like tonight, then we’ll try to win but… we are a young [team], sometimes we play good, but sometimes we lose our minds,” he added. 

Alas playmaker Owa Retamar made his tournament debut after recovering from an illness, providing 5 points. 

Retamar, one of the younger players during the silver-medal finish of the Philippines in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, is proud to provide leadership this time. 

“We will do our best and tell the [younger] players to go all out,” said Retamar. 

Earlier, Indonesia turned back an upset-conscious effort by Vietnam (2-2) in five sets, 25-18, 23-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-8. 

Candon, Vigan target 2026 AVC Women’s Nations Cup hosting

The two Ilocandia cities located around 40 kilometers apart expressed intent to host the 2026 AVC Nations Cup set for June 6-13 next year, where Alas Women is set to improve on its second-place finish, according to AVC president Ramon “Tats” Suzara. 

Although no other Asian cities have expressed intention to host, Suzara said that the AVC will screen the Philippine National Volleyball Federation’s bid in a board meeting this September in Bangkok.

“We have ample time. There are still of course, some minor improvements to the arena according to the standards of the AVC,” ” Suzara said during a press briefing on Saturday. 

“Of course, we need to promote that we have many gymnasiums outside of Manila,” he added, noting that he’s looking at the Philippines as a ‘volleyball tourism” hub.” – Rappler.com