Alas Pilipinas Men ended its campaign in the first leg of the Southeast Asia (SEA) V Cup on a positive note after completing a straight-set victory over Myanmar, 25-21, 28-26, 25-22, on Saturday at the Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur.

Despite missing out on the semifinals, Alas walked away with a fifth-place finish after showing composure in crucial moments against the winless Myanmar side.

Louie Ramirez once again anchored the national squad with 14 points built on 11 attacks and three blocks, providing the steady presence Alas needed to keep Myanmar from forcing a fourth set.

Joshua Magalaman continued to impress in his first stint with the national team, finishing with 12 points on eight attacks, three blocks, and one ace, while Axel Van Book added nine points.

Jude Garcia capped his Alas debut with eight points, while Lloyd Josafat chipped in six, including the decisive plays that sealed the hard-fought second set.

The Filipinos had to survive a major scare after Myanmar turned a 21-all deadlock into a 23-21 advantage in the second frame.

Ramirez answered with a point through a triple block before Garcia unleashed a back-row attack to restore parity. Myanmar eventually reached set point, but Van Book kept the hosts alive before Adrian Villados orchestrated a crucial sequence that gave Alas the advantage.

Josafat then delivered in crunch time, scoring consecutive points before Aung Myo Kyaw’s final attack sailed long to hand the Philippines a commanding two-set lead.

Alas carried that momentum into the third set behind Ramirez and Magalaman, building a comfortable 15-10 cushion.

Myanmar refused to go away quietly and trimmed the deficit to just one point, 23-22. But Josafat struck again with a quick attack to move the Filipinos to match point before Myanmar setter Kaung Khant Kyaw committed a costly net violation that ended the contest. I.S.

The victory allowed the Philippines to finish fifth after absorbing pool-stage defeats to Cambodia and Indonesia earlier in the tournament.

Alas Pilipinas now turns its attention to the second leg of the SEA Men’s V Cup in Indonesia as it looks to build on the encouraging performances of its young core.