The Philippines men’s volleyball team is determined to put up a stronger fight as it hosts the second leg of the Southeast Asia (SEA) Volleyball League on Friday at the City of Santa Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex in Laguna.
Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo, two of the country’s top spikers, are set to make their national team comeback in the second leg, forming a lethal troika with first-leg Best Opposite Spiker awardee Steven Rotter.
“Bagunas and Espejo are experienced players. They’re smart. They can share their experiences with others,” said national men’s team head coach Sergio Veloso in a press conference on Thursday. “We can make a stronger job. I feel we can play better now.”
The Philippines will face Thailand at 7 p.m. in the main event following the opener between Vietnam and Indonesia at 4 p.m. The hosts will then go up against Indonesia on Saturday and Vietnam on Sunday.
The Filipino spikers fought valiantly but ended up winless in three games in Jakarta. In the last match against Vietnam, they showed great determination by holding a 2-0 lead, but unfortunately, they ran out of steam and suffered a tough five-setter defeat.
Meanwhile, Indonesia, led by MVP Fahry Septian Putratama, achieved an unbeaten run to become the first-leg champion. Thailand and Vietnam completed the podium with their strong performances.
