Lloyd Josafat recalled staying calm and trusting the process as his service ace sealed Alas Pilipinas Men’s dramatic reverse sweep against Vietnam for the SEA Games 2025 bronze medal.
Lloyd Josafat stayed calm when Alas Pilipinas Men needed it most—and that composure proved decisive.
Facing the possibility of another painful ending, Alas Men regrouped and completed a dramatic reverse sweep against Vietnam, 23-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-22, 16-14, to secure the bronze medal in the SEA Games 2025 on Friday.
After the match, Josafat shared the message in the huddle after Alas went down two sets.
“One point at a time lang. Huwag kami masyado magmandali. Huwag namin isipin na two sets down na kami. Enjoy lang talaga ‘yung game,” Josafat told One Sports.
Big turnaround capped by Josafat
That mindset allowed Alas Men to regain control after falling behind early. Cutting down errors, the Filipino spikers gradually wrestled momentum away from Vietnam, culminating in a tense fifth set where composure mattered more than ever.
Lloyd Josafat with Owa Retamar during Alas Pilipinas Men's five-set battle against Vietnam for the SEA Games bronze. | Photo: POC Media Pool
Josafat, who has steadily grown into a dependable starting middle blocker throughout the tournament, delivered the match’s defining moment.
With Alas at match point, 15-14, the former UE standout fired the service ace that sealed the comeback and officially returned Philippine men’s volleyball to the SEA Games podium for the first time since winning silver in 2019.
“Actually sabi ko nga sa kanila kanina, ‘yun na sa isip ko kanina sabi ko parang araw-araw kong ginagawa ito so parang wala namang dapat ikakaba na para mag-error pa,” he said.
“Swerte din na medyo maganda ‘yung contact ng bola.”
[ALSO READ: Bryan Bagunas proud as Alas Men turn SEA Games gold disappointment into bronze finish]
But even after the ball went past Vietnam's hands, Josafat admitted holding off any celebration until he was certain the point was theirs.
“Hindi muna akong nag-celebrate kasi baka kasi maibalik pa ‘yung bola at make sure ko muna na hindi na nila may over, so bago akong nag-celebrate so napa-pause muna akong biglang gano'n,” he said, perhaps alluding to Alas Men's gut-wrenching loss to Iran in the FIVB World Championship.
Josafat finished with 11 points, built on six kills, three blocks, and two aces, anchoring the middle as Alas Men delivered their most resilient performance of the tournament.
The bronze-medal victory carried extra weight as it marked the program’s sixth SEA Games bronze medal, highlighting a banner calendar year that included an inspired run in the FIVB Worlds.
[ALSO READ: Marck Espejo, Alas Men show pride in SEA Games bronze medal worth the weight of gold]
(With reports from Mei-Lin Lozada/One Sports)
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.