By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Alas Pilipinas showed its readiness to compete in a more prestigious stage after surviving the Thailand national team, 21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 21-25, 15-12, to complete a three-game sweep of the Invitationals on Thursday night, June 12, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Riding high on their female counterparts’ conquest over Kazakhstan at the AVC Women’s Nations Cup in Vietnam this morning, it was Alas Men’s turn to display grit under pressure this time in outlasting their Southeast Asian rivals.
Marck Espejo was a force to reckon with, exploding with an impressive 31-point performance highlighted by 24 kills including crucial attacks late in the deciding frame that anchored the Nationals to the win.
He also fired six aces and made one block.
Trailing 9-10 in the decider, Espejo led a three-point run with a down-the-line spike and an ace, while Bud Buddin provided a tough defensive wall at the net to steal a 12-10 lead.
A service error from Espejo halted the run, but the Filipino spikers quickly made it up with back-to-back kills for match point, 14-11.
The Thais attempted to regain their resolve with a quick attack from Chaiwat Thungkham, but Espejo sealed the win for the Filipinos with a combination play.
Aside from Thailand, Alas Men also prevailed over reigning Korean V-League champions Hyundai Capital Skywalkers and the Indonesia Proliga champion Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi, both in four sets.
