Marck Espejo came through in a big way as Alas Pilipinas notched its second straight win in the 2024 Alas Pilipinas Men’s Volleyball Invitationals, turning back Korean club Hyundai Capital Skywalkers in four sets, 25-22, 22-25, 25-21, 25-20, Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
After a quiet outing off the bench in their debut match against Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi, Espejo showed why he remains one of the most reliable hitters in Philippine volleyball. The team captain spearheaded the charge against the reigning Korean V-League champions, finishing with a game-high 20 points built on 17 attacks, two service aces, and a block.
“Mindset ko lang talaga is to always stay ready,” said Espejo. “May mga pangyayari sa team na may hindi makalaro, kaya kailangan handa ako. Masaya ako na nakatulong ako sa panalo.”
The national team veteran’s leadership proved crucial, especially in the fourth set when Alas Pilipinas nearly squandered a five-point lead. Hyundai Capital mounted a 4-0 rally behind Son Chan Hong and Lee Seung Jun, taking advantage of consecutive errors from Kennedy Batas and Espejo to trim the deficit to just one, 14-15.
But Batas quickly regained his rhythm, delivering a sharp cross-court kill followed by a blistering ace to spark a 3-0 response that reestablished control for the hosts at 18-14. From there, the Filipinos never looked back, closing out the match with authority and sending the crowd at the Big Dome into celebration.
Peng Taguibolos also made his presence felt with nine points, while Batas, Steven Rotter, and Leo Ordiales chipped in seven markers apiece. Louie Ramirez and Lloyd Josafat added six points each in a balanced attack that overwhelmed the Korean side.
With the victory, the Philippines rose to 2-0 in the Invitational tournament—a vital part of their preparations for hosting the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship this September.
The Skywalkers, meanwhile, remained winless after suffering a straight-sets loss to Thailand the previous day.
Seung Jun led Hyundai with 18 points, while Lee Jae Hyun supported with 14. Despite flashes of brilliance, the Korean club struggled to maintain consistency against the aggressive and energized Filipinos.
In the earlier match, Thailand continued to assert its dominance, cruising to a 25-20, 26-24, 25-19 sweep over Indonesia’s Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi. The Thais improved to 2-0, setting up a potential clean sweep of the three-day friendly tournament.
Amorntep Konhan paced Thailand with 16 points, while Kissada Nilsawai imposed his presence at the net with 14 points, including six kill blocks. Arjuna Mahendra led Jakarta with 16 points, while Agil Angga Anggara added 11 markers in the loss.
