Alas Pilipinas Men finish 5th in SEA V Cup after sweeping Myanmar

Alas Pilipinas Men won't be ending the Leg 1 of the 2026 SEA V Cup empty-handed as the hosts pulled off a 25-21, 28-26, 25-22 win against Myanmar on Saturday in Candon.

The Filipinos will take home one win throughout the tournament after dropping their two games in the group stages against Cambodia and Indonesia.

Joshua Magalaman continued to make surprises after clinching the set point in the opening frame with a quick kill before he connived with setter Greg Ancheta to deny Myanmar's kill from the left wing.

The Philippines, though, had to dig deep in Set 2 after Myanmar raced to a crucial 23-22 lead. Jude Garcia soared from the back row to tie things up at 23-all, but Myanmar would force another deadlock at 25-all. Lloyd Josafat's quick hammer gave Alas a one-point edge, but Myanmar remained alive after knotting the game anew in the next sequence.

Josafat's denial and an attack error from Myanmar sealed the set for Alas.

Reigning NCAA MVP Axel Van Book of San Beda University made the most of his playing time, delivering on a down-the-line hit off a tough set from Adi Villados to clinch the match point at 24-22.

Garcia put the finishing blow from the left side as Alas completed the straight-sets victory.

—JKC, GMA News