The Bryan Bagunas-led Alas Pilipinas Men at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games. Photo from POC
(UPDATED) The Philippines is off to a winning start in the men's indoor volleyball competition of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
This, as Alas Pilipinas Men claimed a hard-fought straight-set win against Myanmar, 25-23, 25-20, 25-21, on Saturday in Thailand.
Trailing by two points late in the opening frame, 20-22, Marck Espejo sparked a stunning 5-1 blitz to steal the set, closed out by Bryan Bagunas and the Ateneo product himself with their sharp spikes.
But before that, Alas Men were actually down by five, 16-21, but they crawled their way back.
Up by four points this time in the latter part of the succeeding frame, 21-17, the Nationals squandered that cushion as Myanmar found itself within one, 21-20.
The Bagunas-led squad uncorked a counterattack with a 4-0 run of its own, capped by a Jade Disquitado ace to send the country up 2-0.
Another counter from the FIVB Worlds stars-loaded national team silenced the Myanmar side and completed the three-set win, as a Leo Ordiales down-the-line hit, an Espejo into-the-block kill, and an Owa Retamar kill block got the job finished, right after their rivals threatened Alas Men's lead after falling down by 22-18.
Bagunas finished with a match-high 18 points, as fellow wingers Espejo and Ordiales delivered 10 markers each. Peng Taguibolos had seven points, while Kim Malabunga had six.
READ: Alas Men now in Taiwan for SEA Games training camp
Despite the straight-set victory, coach Angiolino Frigoni hopes to see a better showing from his wards. The national team will face Indonesia three days from now.
"Some players, they are not in a very good condition yet," said Frigoni. "I hope that we will get them in condition for the next match."
Frigoni, acknowledging the huge Filipino crowd that came up to support Alas, hopes to see them again in the next games.
"We feel that we play at home today. That's good. Thank you. For the supporters, [come] back again because we have more important matches."
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