ALAS Pilipinas is making steady strides toward top form ahead of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship and the Southeast Asian V.League is providing a stage for its rising stars.
With Eco Adajar and Leo Ordiales showing the way, Alas Pilipinas had a smooth shift from the usual starting unit, proving the team is loaded with talent from top to bottom as it scored a 25-17, 25-23, 25-19 victory over Vietnam last Wednesday at the Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur.
“It’s the same game plan, whoever is called,” Adajar said. “There was not much adjustment for us, especially since I have been working closely with Leo in training.”
“I also keep in mind that the reason coaches call your number is that they expect you to deliver,” he said. “And we are always prepared to deliver, not just me, it’s the whole squad.”
The 23-year-old Adajar executed the playbook like a grizzled floor general in his first full match with Alas Pilipinas after first-choice setter OwaRetamar fell ill just hours before.
As Adajar’s training partner, Ordiales was by default the first scoring option since veteran MarckEspejo is out of the lineup due to an ankle sprain, and Louie Ramirez had to skip the opener as he attended his graduation ceremony at the University of Perpetual Help.
The rest of the team proved capable, well ahead of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Philippines 2025 with tickets available via the official website https://www.philippineswch2025.com/.
Ramirez, a former National Collegiate Athletic Association Most Valuable Player was back for Thursday’s match against Thailand. Retamar was also back in harness for the showdown against last season’s double gold medalist.
Ordiales wound up with 20 points, all on attacks, while Buds Buddin and Jade Disquitado also shone for the Philippines with 16 and nine points, respectively, in the one hour and 13-minute demolition.
Nguyen Ngoc Thuan led Vietnam with 13 points, while Van Hiep Pham and Tran DuyTuyen scored seven each.
Vietnam bounced back on Thursday with a 25-23, 25-20, 25-21 victory over Cambodia in the tournament backed by PNVF official partners PLDT, Mwell, Meralco, Rebisco, Akari and Nuvali, PNVF official suppliers Asics, Senoh and Mikasa, official television partner Cignal, and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and the City of Candon.
Vietnam had 11 blocks against only five by Cambodia in the one-hour and 27-minute match.
After taking on Thailand, the Philippines takes a break on Friday before facing Cambodia on Saturday and Indonesia on Sunday.
