Marck Espejo and the rest of Alas Pilipinas Men would not be a denied a perfect run in their three-day Invitationals tournament after outlasting Thailand in a five-set thriller.
Alas Pilipinas Men officially complete their three-day Invitationals sweep after overcoming regional rivals Thailand in five sets, 25-21, 21-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-11, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Thursday, June 12.
Marck Espejo would not be denied another victory over the Thais as he put up 31 points on 24 attacks, one block, and six service aces.
In the winner-take-all fifth set, Alas Men overcame a 1-3 deficit to start the frame as NU stars Buds Buddin and Leo Ordiales came alive to put the Philippines ahead with a 3-0 blast.
With momentum on their side, Ordiales and Espejo combined to push Alas ahead to a crucial 7-4 lead. But Amornthep Konhan kept Thailand afloat, eventually retaking the lead at 10-9.
Tied at 10-all, Espejo delivered two crucial serves, one of which came as a service ace, to give the Philippines a huge two-point cushion.
Buddin would then come alive once more, delivering back-to-back hits to push Alas Men to match point.
The Thais would get one back, but Espejo put on the finishing touch with an emphatic backrow attack to seal the Independence Day victory.
The last recorded victory by the Philippines over Thailand in men’s volleyball was back in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
This also marks a double victory for the Alas Pilipinas after the women’s team recorded a huge straight-sets win over Kazakhstan in the 2025 AVC Women’s Nations Cup earlier today.