Alas Pilipinas Men swept by Cambodia in SEA V Cup Leg 2 opener

Alas Pilipinas Men opened its campaign in the second leg of the 2026 SEA V Cup with a straight-sets loss to defending first-leg champion Cambodia, 20-25, 21-25, 20-25, on Thursday at the Jakarta International Velodrome.

The defeat came a week after the Filipinos pushed Cambodia to five sets in their first-leg meeting in Candon, Ilocos Sur before falling, 23-25, 30-28, 20-25, 25-22, 8-15.

Unlike their previous encounter, Cambodia controlled the match from the opening set and prevented the Philippines from forcing another extended battle.

Alas Pilipinas mounted one final rally in the third set after Joshua Magalaman broke a 19-all deadlock with a quick attack. A Kuon Mom attack error then gave the Filipinos a 21-19 lead.

Cambodia quickly regained control.

Veasna Vourne sparked a decisive 3-0 run to turn a two-point deficit into a 22-21 advantage. Magalaman answered with another quick attack to tie the set at 22-all.

The teams traded points before Jude Garcia matched a Vourne kill to keep the Philippines within striking distance. However, Mom delivered a cross-court winner to bring Cambodia to match point before Garcia’s ensuing attack sailed long, sealing the straight-set victory.

The loss increased the urgency for Alas Pilipinas ahead of its next assignment against host Indonesia on Friday.

The Filipinos need a victory to keep their semifinal hopes alive. A win would also avenge their first-leg defeat to Indonesia and create a three-way tie in Pool A.