Alas Men succumb to Chinese Taipei, falls to classification phase

The Alas Pilipinas Men suffered their second straight loss in the AVC Men’s Volleyball Nations Cup 2025 after bowing to Chinese Taipei, 19-25, 25-23, 28-30, 20-25, on Wednesday, June 18, in Manama, Bahrain.

The loss has relegated the team to the classification phase of the tournament where they will face the defeated teams in other pools to determine their final standing. 

Team captain Marck Espejo led the Alas Men with a game-high 26 points from 22 attacks and four blocks after a brief knee injury scare during the fourth set. 

Earlier in the tournament opener against Pakistan—a match the Nationals fell short—Espejo sustained an ankle injury but was later medically cleared to continue playing.

Leo Ordiales backstopped Espejo’s effort with 15 markers. 

Alas Pilipinas came close to taking a pivotal 2-1 set lead in the third but couldn’t close it out.

Chinese Taipei denied the Philippines’ set point three times, capping the rally with back-to-back kills before Espejo’s attack error sealed the extended set in favor of the Taiwanese.

That turning point saw the Chinese Taipei surge to a 12–7 lead in the fourth set and never looked back. With the limited offensive support for Espejo and Ordiales, they ultimately fell short of securing a playoff spot.

Chang Yu-Sheng spearheaded the win for the Taiwanese with 24 points built on 21 attacks and three blocks, while Wen Yi-Kai provided 14 markers to help secure their country’s first win of the tournament.

Alas will be back in action on Friday, June 20, for the classification games.