Alas Pilipinas aim to carve out their breakthrough moment in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Men as they take on Indonesia in the classification round.
Alas Pilipinas may have ended the group stage with two losses and ultimately crashed out of title contention in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup, but their journey is far from over.
After tough losses to world No. 31 China and reigning silver medalist Bahrain in Pool A, the Philippines moves to the classification phase, where ousted teams will be battling for the 9th to 12th places.
The classification round begins on Wednesday, June 5, as Alas braces for a collision with Indonesia at 9:30 p.m.
As the Filipinos aim to carve their breakthrough moment in Isa Town, Bahrain, the Indonesians, ranked 54th in the world, presents a challenging but surmountable obstacle.
Indonesia has fielded a relatively young squad in the Challenge Cup, with an average age of 18 years and the eldest being 22-year-old Muhammad Ega Yuri Pradana. Notably, none of the players from the team which struck gold in men's volleyball at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in 2023 are part of the lineup.
The Indonesians tried to leverage their youthful vigor early in the tournament, but the more experienced South Koreans and Qataris seized control in Pool C.
Alas Pilipinas, with a solid blend of young guns and veterans, are eager to use their experiences from the group stage to overcome Indonesia.
Leading the charge for the Philippines are co-captain Marck Espejo, Jau Umandal, and Kim Malabunga, alongside playmaker Owa Retamar.
Alas will also rely on the solid contributions of Leo Ordiales, Jade Disquitado, Lloyd Josafat, and Josh Ybañez, among others.
Should the Philippines sweep its classification assignments, it could surpass its 10th place finish in the 2023 Challenge Cup.
The match will be aired at 9:30 p.m. LIVE on One Sports, One Sports+, and the Pilipinas Live app.