SEA Games men's volleyball: Not the medal they wanted but Alas Pilipinas needed

Alas Pilipinas completed a come-from-behind five-set victory against Vietnam to cap the 2025 SEA Games with a bronze-medal finish. (Photo: Philippine Olympic Committee)

The Philippine men's national volleyball team, popularly known as Alas Pilipinas, was at match point against Vietnam in the fifth set of their bronze medal match in the 2025 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, 15-14, when One Sports commentator Noreen Go said: “Ace wouldn't hurt.”

That's exactly what middle blocker Lloyd Josafat fired from the service line to the delight of his teammates, coaches, and the Filipino hopefuls at the Indoor Stadium Huamark in Bangkok, Thailand.

The service bomb punctuated the thrilling reverse sweep engineered by the Filipino spikers to snatch the bronze from Vietnam, 23-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-22, 16-14, for their first medal since the historic silver finish at home in 2019.

Six years ago, the Philippines returned to the SEA Games men's volleyball finals after a 42-year wait before eventually falling to Indonesia in straight sets.

“It may not be the color we dreamed of, but this podium finish is something I’ll always be proud of,” said veteran outside hitter Marck Espejo, who led Alas with 30 points, on Instagram.

While it wasn’t what Espejo and Alas Pilipinas expected, a bronze is still a medal worth commending.

On the flip side, setting a lofty goal – winning the gold – for themselves isn’t groundless for Espejo and the rest of the team. Alas knew it had the capabilities to fulfill that dream, especially after their remarkable run in the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship.

Last September, when it hosted the global showpiece, the Philippines lived up to the billing as the proverbial David in Goliath’s playground.

Alas essayed arguably the biggest upset story in the entire tournament. That time’s world no. 88 shocked reigning African champion Egypt in the group stages for its first-ever World Championship win. The Egyptians ranked 21st globally at that time.

ALSO READ: Alas Pilipinas’ FIVB Men’s World Championship win is more than a victory

Far from done, the host nearly reached the knockout rounds but fell short against Asian powerhouse Iran in a heartbreaking five-set defeat.

“[The] Philippines played an amazing game. They deserved to be in the Round of 16 just like us because two points cannot change the game,” said Iran head coach Roberto Piazza, as quoted by Manila Bulletin Sports.

The World Championship felt like the start of bigger things to come for the Philippine men’s volleyball team, and their impressive performance put them in the gold medal conversation in the SEA Games.

ALSO READ: Post-FIVB Worlds note: Alas Pilipinas’ ‘sayang’ loss should spark something big

Come December, Alas, however, seemed a shadow of itself. Things went downhill after their straight-set win against Myanmar in the team’s opening match.

Everyone dreams of winning gold, but that’s still a long way to go. It’s hard, but we’re getting there. – Marck Espejo after Alas Pilipinas clinched bronze medal in the 2025 SEA Games

In their last pool match, four-time defending champion Indonesia undoubtedly posed a litmus test to the Philippines, and the former gave the latter a reality check. The Indonesians swept the Filipinos even in the presence of Espejo and Bryan Bagunas – a feat they did twice in the 2019 SEA Games.

The Filipinos then took on the crowd-buoyed Thai spikers in a rematch of their 2019 semifinal in Pasig, where they stunned the visitors. History flipped this time, with the hosts handing Alas the same fate.

Bagunas, who served as team captain, felt they succumbed to “overpressure” going into the regional meet.

“Nandun 'yung pressure. Kasi mataas 'yung expectations sa amin ng mga Filipino volleyball fans o kaya lahat ng sumusuporta sa amin. Tingin ko na-overpressure 'yung team, na kailangan pagpunta pa lang dito, nasa utak namin na magka-medal agad,” he said, per ABS-CBN Sports. “Hindi namin inisip na kailangan one game at a time. Kasi alam naman natin dito sa SEA Games, talagang short tournament, lahat naghahanda.”

Up against Vietnam in the battle for bronze, the Philippines found itself in the same predicament. But when all hopes seemed lost, with the Vietnamese squad establishing a 2-0 lead, Alas Pilipinas found the fire that had been missing from them.

They prevented the country’s medal-less campaign for the third-straight time despite Vietnam tying the fifth frame at 14-all after trailing 11-14. 

The bronze may not glitter like gold, but it’s a testament that the Philippines was on the “right path,” according to Espejo.

“As one of the older guys on the team, I’m super happy. Like Lolo [Philippine head coach Angiolino Frigoni] said, our goal was really to reach the podium. Everyone dreams of winning gold, but that’s still a long way to go. It’s hard, but we’re getting there,” he said in Filipino, as reported by Inquirer Sports. “We’re on the right path, just like Coach Odjie [Mamon] said.”

The SEA Games indeed remain elusive, and qualifying for the next World Championship could prove difficult. Still, it’s within reach if the right steps are taken.

This year taught Alas Pilipinas and the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) valuable lessons, and with momentum on their side, the federation can build on what the team accomplished to further elevate men’s volleyball in the international scene heading into a busy 2026 schedule.