Alas Men absorbed a painful five-set defeat at the hands of host Indonesia, 19-25, 25-19, 25-21, 22-25, 8-15, to open their campaign in the second leg of the 2025 Southeast Asia V.League, Wednesday night at the Jakarta International Velodrome.
Still reeling from a loss to the same team just three days prior—one that cost them a podium finish in the first leg—the Filipinos once again came up short in the clutch, surrendering a 0-5 hole to begin the deciding fifth set that ultimately doomed their comeback bid.
It was the sixth consecutive loss for the Philippines against Indonesia since the men’s division was introduced in the regional tournament two years ago, further cementing the hosts' dominance over their Southeast Asian rivals.
Fahri Putratama and Tedy Syahputra stepped up in crunch time for Indonesia, powering a quick 5-0 burst to start the final frame before extending the gap to 9-3. The Philippines struggled to recover, with key errors and a lack of rhythm down the stretch allowing the hosts to dictate the tempo.
A crucial block by Hendra Kurniawan on Buds Buddin and a powerful out-of-system kill from Putratama pushed Indonesia to match point, before Putratama sealed the win with a service ace that sent the home crowd into a frenzy.
Despite the defeat, Alas Pilipinas showed flashes of brilliance throughout the contest. After losing the opener, the Nationals rallied in the second behind strong performances from Vince Ordiales, Lloyd Josafat, and Steven Rotter to tie the match at 1-1.
The third set saw the Philippines seize control, turning a tight 13-all deadlock into an 18-14 advantage behind Jau Umandal and Jade Disquitado. Ordiales then nailed two clutch down-the-line hits while Indonesia faltered with a costly error, handing the set to the Filipinos, 25-21, and a 2-1 match lead.
However, the tide turned once more in the fourth. Indonesia built a 23-18 cushion late in the frame, but the Philippines mounted a spirited 4-0 run—capitalizing on two errors from the hosts, a quick hit from Peng Taguibolos, and a block from Rotter to cut the deficit to one. Alas, Putratama delivered a booming kill and Kurniawan came up with a massive block on Josafat to force a fifth and final set.
Still shellshocked from the fourth-set collapse, the Filipinos were unable to respond early in the fifth, never regaining footing as Indonesia cruised to the win.
Alas Pilipinas will try to arrest their skid and keep their second-leg hopes alive when they face winless Cambodia on Friday, July 16 at 5 p.m.
