The Philippines picked up its first win in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Men. Alas Pilipinas scored the breakthrough against a young Indonesian team.
Alas Pilipinas finally found their umbrellas, as the Philippine men's national volleyball team secured a breakthrough win against Indonesia in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Men in Bahrain on Wednesday night.
Co-captain Kim Malabunga pointed out their shortcomings in the straight-set losses to China and Bahrain in Pool A, before getting the much-needed improvement against Indonesia.
"I guess our blockings... then maybe the serves," he said to Bahrain Volleyball. "We're gonna improve more blockings [and] we're gonna execute our transition."
Alas Pilipinas got their first victory of the tournament in the classification phase, beating Indonesia, 25-23, 23-25, 25-14, 25-22.
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It's a welcome victory for the Philippines against the 2023 SEA V.League winners and the reigning three-peat Southeast Asian Games gold medalists.
However, the team fielded for the AVC Challenge Cup are not the seniors. The Indonesians are the second youngest competitors in the tournament with an average age of 18. Their oldest player is 22 years old.
In comparison, the Philippine squad has an average age of 23, with Malabunga as the oldest at 27.
The improvement in blocking is worth noting, as Malabunga delivered six of the team's 15 deflections. Jade Disquitado added three, while Owa Retamar pitched two.
In comparison, Alas only had four against Bahrain and two against China.
Alas also registered three aces--albeit only half of Indonesia's six. Still, it was a marked improvement from Marck Espejo's single ace vs Bahrain. The Philippines didn't get one against China.
However, errors are still something that need to be addressed. Alas committed 24 against Indonesia, 15 against Bahrain, and 26 against China.
Alas Pilipinas will be aiming to improve their 10th place finish last year when they take on Thailand this Friday, June 7. The ninth place classification match will air at 7 p.m., Philippine time, LIVE on One Sports, One Sports+, and the Pilipinas Live app.