Alas Pilipinas Men fell short of reaching the gold medal match after losing in straight sets to Thailand, 20-25, 19-25, 21-25, in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Thursday at Hua Mark Indoor Stadium.
The Philippines struggled to match Thailand’s pace, with the hosts controlling the flow from the start. Despite moments of resistance, Alas Pilipinas could not close the gap in any of the three sets.
Leo Ordiales was the standout performer for the Philippines, recording 25 points—the highest of his SEA Games stint—on 23 attacks and two aces. In contrast, team captain Bryan Bagunas managed only 11 points, while Marck Espejo added five. Lloyd Josafat contributed eight points, stepping in for veteran Kim Malabunga.
Head coach Angiolino Frigoni acknowledged the team’s difficulties. “We could have performed better. We had a hard time starting each set, and even as we got closer, it wasn’t enough,” he said.
Bagunas admitted the team’s effort didn’t translate into results. “We reduced our errors, but maybe our determination wasn’t enough for this match. We wanted to fight, but it seems this game wasn’t ours,” he said.
Alas Pilipinas committed 24 errors in the 75-minute match, compared to Thailand’s 10. Thailand’s Napadet Bhinijdee led the way with 19 points on 18-of-29 attacks, supported by Kissada Nilsawai with 10, Anurak Phanram with eight, and Chaiwat Thungkham with seven.
The Philippines will now compete for bronze against Vietnam on Friday at 4 p.m., aiming for their first SEA Games podium finish since 2019. Thailand advances to face defending champion Indonesia in the gold medal match at 6:30 p.m.
