PHNOM PENH – Shut out of medal contention, Jau Umandal and the Philippine men’s volleyball team seek the next best thing – a decent finish in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games here.

The Filipinos crashed out of the semis race even before the Games officially opened on Friday after absorbing back-to-back straight-set losses to two-time defending champion Indonesia and host Cambodia in Group A.

But the team intends to end the group stage on a winning note when it tangles with Singapore in a battle between winless squads Saturday at the Olympic Stadium here.

“Our aim to win remains. We want to beat Singapore for a strong finish,” said Umandal. “Even if we’re already out of the top two, we still need to get the win.”
Only the top two teams from the two groups will advance to the semifinals, with the rest of the squads battling it out in the classification stage.

A victory over the Singaporeans will propel the Filipinos to a clash with the fourth-placed team in Group B, with the winner advancing to the battle for fifth place.

Sergio Veloso, the Brazilian head coach of the national team, pleaded for patience from the fans as the squad – backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee – looks to crack the winning column.

“I know the fans want (us) to win, but sometimes we win, sometimes the opponent wins, but every time we need to learn,” said Veloso. “Our focus in this tournament is not only to take a good position but try to do our best, try to do our 110 percent, improve every day.”

Umandal refused to offer excuses for their two defeats so far, saying: “We fell short as a team. The heat and crowd are not the issue, we are used to it. But our preparation for this SEA Games is not enough, unlike in 2019 when we had a long preparation.”

He added: “We still want to win against Singapore even if we’re out of the top two. We need to get the win even if it’s only for ranking, like what we did in 2022.”