FILE–Alas Pilipinas men’s in the SEA VLeague. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas absorbed its first loss in the SEA V.League first leg in a heartbreaker after team captain Bryan Bagunas went down with a knee injury in the 25-23, 19-25, 11-25, 20-25 loss to defending champion Indonesia on Saturday evening at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
With Alas trying to fight back from a 20-24 deficit in the fourth, Bagunas hurt his left knee from an awkward landing in his jump serve. The Indonesians then booked their first win to improve to a 1-1 record and tie the home squad ahead of the final day of the first leg.
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Both squads already shook hands but it took time for Bagunas to be stretchered off the court. His knee was treated with an immobilizer upon his exit.
Alas tries to bounce back against unbeaten Thailand (2-0) on Sunday at 6 p.m., still hoping for a good finish amid Bagunas’ uncertainty.
Bagunas finished with a team-high 17 points all from attacks. Buds Buddin chipped in 16 points including two blocks, while Kim Malabunga and Louie Ramirez added seven and six points, respectively.
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Bagunas and Owa Retamar played clutch in the first set to draw the first blood but lost steam in the next three sets.
The Filipinos couldn’t sustain their momentum from a 25-21, 25-22, 18-25, 25-23 win over Vietnam, where Bagunas scored 19.
Fahri Putratama led Indonesia with 21 points, while Farhan Halim delivered 16 points.
Meanwhile, Thailand inched a win closer to a gold medal after sweeping Vietnam,27-25, 29-27, 25-15, with Thungkham Chaiwat leading the balanced attack with 13 points on 11 attacks and two aces.
Vietnam dropped to a 0-2 card with Nguyen Ngoc Thuan carrying his team with 17 points on 12 attacks, three blocks and two aces.