Alas Pilipinas Men impressed fans by pushing Yuji Nishida and the Osaka Bluteon to close encounters, but ultimately fell in straight sets during the Alas Pilipinas Invitationals.
Alas Pilipinas Men impressed fans at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City, keeping it close before falling short against Yuji Nishida and the Osaka Bluteon in straight sets, 27-29, 23-25, 12-25, during the Alas Pilipinas Invitationals on Saturday, September 7.
In the decisive third set, Osaka stormed to an early seven-point lead at 14-7, which the Japanese squad only continued to extend as the advantage reached as high as 10 points after Cuban spiker Miguel López Castro’s service ace.
Reeling from their tough defeat in the second set, Alas Men couldn’t find their rhythm in the third even as spikers Buds Buddin and Louie Ramirez tried to inject some life into the national team.
The Bluteon, however, closed out the victory in rather dominating fashion after a service ace by Shunsuke Nakamura.
Nishida finished with 15 points on 14 attacks and one service ace, while American spiker Thomas Jaeschke added 10 markers in the win by Osaka, the former Panasonic Panthers who finished second in last year's Japan V.League Division 1.
Alas Men, on the other hand, were led by National University stars Jade Disquitado and Buds Buddin, who finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
In the first set, Alas Men were able to force an extended frame behind the strong efforts of Buddin and Desquitado.
The Filipinos also built a four-point lead in the second set, but faltered late in the frame.
In both frames, Nishida proved to be too much as the Japanese superstar spiker delivered time and time again for the Bluteon.
Alas Men will have another crack against Osaka tomorrow at 6:00 p.m., still at the PhilSports Arena.