Volume scorer Leo Ordiales led the way for Alas Pilipinas against familiar foe Vietnam in SEA V.League opener, creating 20 points from 20 attacks.
Leo Ordiales showed the way for an undermanned Alas Pilipinas as they dealt with injuries and absences when they faced regional rival Vietnam in their opening game of the SEA V.League in Candon, Ilocos Sur on Wednesday night.
As Marck Espejo nurses his ankle injury, Ordiales was able to step up to the plate — especially after a confidence boosting performance at the AVC Nations Cup where he led Alas in scoring all throughout the tournament.
After the match, Ordiales spoke about how their team was able to keep the energy going.
“We improved a lot. We improved on our defense, serve, blocking, and our communication,” said Ordiales, who ended up with 20 points in the three-set win over Vietnam.
[READ: Leo Ordiales powers undermanned Alas Pilipinas, helps sweep Vietnam in SEA V.League opener]
Adding a layer of satisfaction for the UAAP champion was that the team showed out in front of home fans, playing in front of a Filipino crowd since the Alas Invitationals earlier this year. With the community behind them, Ordiales was happy to deliver.
“I’m very happy for my performance because I showed my talent to the people watching here. I’m very happy for the win,” he said.
But the challenges won’t get any easier for the home team, as they are also gearing up for another familiar foe in Thailand.
After getting a big win over them in the Alas Invitationals, the SEA V.League defending champions got back at them with a straight sets win in the AVC Nations Cup in Bahrain.
With pride and ranking points on the line, Ordiales hopes to bring the same intensity even as the team faces back-to-back game days.
“We’ll show again how we performed today [against] Thailand,” he said.