Alas eyes payback vs Indonesians

BANGKOK, Thailand —Already assured of a return trip to the semifinals after six years, Alas Pilipinas primes up for the next round in an acid test against defending champion Indonesia in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games men’s indoor volleyball on Tuesday at the Indoor Stadium Huamark here.

Opening serve is set at 1:30 p.m. (Manila time).

The Filipino spikers are on a high following a 25-23, 25-20, 25-21, victory over Myanmar last Saturday to start their campaign in Group B.

Absent in the semis since a runner-up finish in the 2019 edition in Manila, Alas got a free ride to the next phase after the Indonesians eliminated the Burmese, 25-15, 25-22, 25-19, on Monday.

Alas head coach Angiolino Frigoni is pinning his hopes on Bryan Bagunas, Marck Espejo and Leo Ordiales to deliver the same offensive punch to beat the squad that denied them a breakthrough gold medal six years ago.

“We know how solid the Indonesians are. They are one of the strongest in Southeast Asia. But we prepared well for this and we’ll fight every game,” said Bagunas, who fired 18 points in Alas’ opener.

“The tournament doesn’t end with just one win tournament. We’re telling each other to bring out our 100 percent each game to reach our goal,” he added.

Alas has already surpassed its back-to-back fifth-place finishes in the Hanoi and Phnom Penh editions.

The winner of the match will take on the No. 2 squad in Group A, while the loser takes on the top seed in the opposite pool in a knockout clash on Thursday.

Leading Group A are Vietnam and host Thailand, both unbeaten in two matches, while winless Singapore and Laos are already eliminated in the semis race.

The battle for bronze and championship match will be played on Friday.