Alas Pilipinas Men staged a dramatic turnaround to secure the bronze medal in men’s indoor volleyball at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, defeating Vietnam 23-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-22, 16-14 on Friday at Hua Mark Indoor Stadium.
Trailing two sets to none, the Philippine squad found its rhythm in the third and fourth sets, led by Marck Espejo, who tallied a tournament-high 30 points, including 25 attacks, three blocks, and two aces. Espejo’s performance fueled the team’s rally and set up a tense fifth set that ultimately decided the medal.
The Philippines surged to a 9-4 lead in the decider and extended it to 14-11 with a crucial block by Bryan Bagunas. Vietnam, however, stayed in contention and tied the score at 14 before Bagunas’ timely hit allowed Lloyd Josafat to deliver the match-winning ace. Bagunas finished with 19 points, Leo Ordiales contributed 20, and middle blockers Josafat and Peng Taguibolos added 11 and seven points, respectively.
“From the start, we knew the fight wasn’t over,” said team captain Bagunas. “We played until the very end, and it feels amazing to bring home the bronze.”
The medal snapped a streak of fifth-place finishes for the Philippines in the last two SEA Games and marked the country’s first men’s indoor volleyball podium finish since 2019. Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick Gregorio praised the team’s effort, saying their determination “made millions of Filipinos proud.”
Vietnam, which took bronze in 2023, finished fourth this year. Their top scorer, Pham Quoc Du, had 27 points, while Truong The Khai, Nguyen Ngoc Thuân, and Tran Duy Tuyen contributed 15, 14, and 13 points, respectively.
