Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara challenged the Alas Pilipinas squad to regroup and show resilience after narrowly missing out on a podium finish in the first leg of the Southeast Asian V.League 2025 held in Candon City, Ilocos Sur.

Despite ending the campaign with a respectable 2-2 record, Suzara stressed the importance of consistency as the young lineup tries to build momentum heading into the second leg in Indonesia.

Suzara calls for focus as Jakarta leg looms

Alas Pilipinas showed flashes of brilliance in Candon, including a straight-sets victory over perennial contender Vietnam and a hard-fought five-set win over Cambodia. However, the team’s intensity waned during their final match—a 25-19, 25-17, 25-17 loss to silver medalist Indonesia.

“The team needs to learn from their mistakes,” said Suzara. “Two wins and two losses, overall it’s a good result with this young team. But we still need to work harder.”

Suzara, who also heads the Asian Volleyball Confederation and serves as executive vice president of FIVB, noted that the team’s improvement remains a top priority—especially with the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Philippines 2025 on the horizon.

He also hopes to see injured stars Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas return in time for the World Championship.

Candon hosts successful volleyball tourism campaign

Team captain Kim Malabunga echoed the call for adjustments before the team left for Jakarta on Monday, saying, “We fell short. Just a bit short. I believe we will recover from this soon.”

Meanwhile, Leo Ordiales earned Best Opposite Hitter honors and proved a steady presence throughout the tournament, which was backed by PNVF official partners PLDT, MWell, Meralco, Rebisco, Akari, and Nuvali.

Suzara lauded the local organizing efforts in Candon, led by Mayor Eric Singson, praising the city’s growing role in promoting “volleyball tourism.”

“It has been a good experience for us here,” said Suzara. “I thank Mayor Singson for the excellent organization, everything was great, and we will be back here for bigger events.”

Candon City has also submitted its bid to host the AVC Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup from July 6 to 13, 2026, aiming to bring in 12 participating nations.