via Dason Stephan, Pressroom PH
After succumbing to Pakistan yesterday in four sets, the Alas Pilipinas Men’s team followed it up with another four-set heartbreak, as they faltered against world No. 45 Chinese Taipei, 19-25, 25-23, 28-30, 20-25, in their must-win match during the 2025 AVC Nation’s Cup, June 18, at the Isa Bin Rashid Hall in Bahrain.
This loss dropped the team’s win-loss card in Pool C to a dreadful 0-2, which means that they end their pool play without even getting a chance at the crown and now await the final ranking for classification.
The crucial stretch transpired in set three, when the Philippines held three set points, with team captain Marck Espejo—who came off an injured left ankle—putting his squad in the lead at 28-27, thanks to a clever drop from the back row.
However, errors crippled the Nationals’ attempt at resurgence after a Chang Yu-Sheng kill, which was soon followed by an overpass from libero Josh Ybanez, leading to a spike that gave Chinese Taipei the advantage.
The captain then tried to pull his team back up, but instead of scoring for his team, he committed a crucial attack error, handing the opponent the set and the match lead at two sets to one.
Following that disappointing finish to the third, the Filipinos struggled to keep up with their counterparts until Leo Ordiales sparked a mini-run to close the gap at 15-13.
On the other hand, Chinese Taipei showed no signs of backing down, and erupted for a 6-2 run, crafting a comfortable 21-15 edge over the Philippines.
From then on, the world No. 45 troupe never looked back and chipped in four more to seal the deal and send the Filipinos out of title contention in the Nation’s Cup.
Earlier, in set two, however, Alas Men’s sparked flashes of a comeback, highlighted by multiple kills coming from Espejo and Ordiales.
But it was simply not enough to overcome Chinese Taipei, as Alas had no answer to the scoring of Chang Yu-Sheng.
Espejo led the offense of Alas, as he finished with 26 points built on 22 attacks and four blocks, while Ordiales also had a strong production with 15 in a losing effort.
On the other side, Chang Yu-Sheng posted 24 points to lead Chinese Taipei, followed by Wen Yi-Kai’s 14 markers.
The boys will now have their eyes on the classification round, where they will aim to finish in 9th place.
