THE HISTORIC campaign of Alas Pilipinas in the 2025 Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) Men’s Volleyball World Championship marked a pivotal moment for Philippine Men’s Volleyball while entrenching its growing visibility on the global stage.
Embracing their underdog status, seasoned veterans of Alas Pilipinas proved that their lackluster participation in international stints is no longer a thing of the past. With their impressive showing against the sport’s global powerhouses, the Philippine-based team cemented the potential of Philippine volleyball to compete with greater confidence and consistency in bigger leagues.
Beyond the breakthrough
Gabrielle: Debuting in the international stint as the lowest-ranked unit, Alas Pilipinas Men’s Team was clearly the underdog in the mix. However, entering the taraflex with a talent-laden line-up, the 14-man team had nothing short of a champion’s mindset.
Having to face Tunisia, a perennial contender in the FIVB, was no easy feat for the country’s bet. In fact, the opening set of the match cemented their underdog status. The first sequences saw lapses of defensive strategy from Alas, submitting to Tunisia’s offensive and all-rounder approach. With Tunisia capitalizing on their offensive strategy, even the Philippines’ finest tacticians were tested to their limits, 1-10.
Despite falling to significant point deficits, veteran winger Bryan Bagunas persisted through the challenges with his equally aggressive attack front. Through his extensive efforts, the Philippines was able to keep up with the pace of Tunisia and their high-velocity plays.
Although the 13-25 finish in the first set was an underwhelming opening, Alas continued to showcase extensive efforts in the following set. Yet, the evidently flustered Philippine team still carried an influx of floor defense errors in the second set. While the team fell to a 17-25 loss, the in-game chemistry established by Bagunas, Marck Espejo, and libero Josh Ybañez during the second set reinforced their backbone for the succeeding frames of the match.
It was only in the third set when the Philippines finally showed flashes of their potential as challengers in the league. Spearheaded by Bagunas from the service line, the blue shirts started to dictate power from all ends of the court. The last few points tallied by Bagunas and Kim Malabunga solidified this testament–the strength of Alas Pilipinas.
Deemed as underdogs on the international stage, this highly anticipated debut of the Philippine team has proven that they have a long way to go, but there is a brighter future ahead of them. The impressive showing of the country’s finest athletes asserts their place as a force to be reckoned with.
History made on home court
Caitlin: The entire Filipino volleyball community watched in awe as the Alas Pilipinas etched their names into history last September 16. Bouncing back from their loss against Tunisia with vigor, the tri-color bearers displayed quality plays against World No. 21 Egypt in a four-set showdown.
The first set was characterized by setter Owa Retamar’s playmaking brilliance. From back sets to the right wing to activating the pipe, the former National University Bulldog empowered his spikers from the get-go. Aside from his setting ability, Retamar also established himself as a formidable opponent at the net, locking in solid blocks against the tall Egyptian team. With the winning formula in the setter’s hands, Team Captain Bagunas added attacking firepower into the mix as momentum remained with the Philippines despite side outs by Egypt to keep the point gap at a minimum.
Towards the end of the first frame, however, Egypt managed to create a three-point lead after denting the Philippines’ speedy rhythm with off-speed hits. Both teams arrived at a standstill at 25-25, with Egypt holding the sideout advantage due to Alas playing it easy on the service line, allowing their opponents to execute clean quick attacks.
Team Captain Bagunas steered Alas back on track with a quick drop against the Egyptian wall, while Malabunga finally remedied the weak center of the net with a convincing block against a backrow kill attempt. Learning from the rallies before, Leo Ordiales then unleashed a loaded serve to ultimately claim the first set with a statement.
The opening plays of the second set saw Egypt utilize the same tactic of directing their attacks towards their middles for easy kills. Aly Seifeldin Hassan continued his masterful performance over Alas with another off-tempo hit that buried the Filipinos in an early 2-6 deficit.
While Retamar consistently set up the Filipino attackers, the team’s reliance on block touches gave Egypt an opening to capitalize, turning Alas’ net defense into convincing off-the-block points. Although the national team kept in step with Egypt to force multiple deadlocks throughout the set, momentum remained with the opponent until the 25th point.
This highlights not only the need for the Filipino squad to establish their defense early on as a foundation, but also their need to regroup midway through the set in order to refine their attacking strategies.
As expected in the third set, both teams fought for offensive command within the court as Bagunas and Seif Abed led the charge. With all bases covered in the attacking department on both sides, it checked out that the turnaround occurred from the service line, with Ordiales’ aces reaching 114 kilometers per hour, rattling Egypt’s defense. This game-changer empowered the Filipinos to surge through the crucial set, with Buds Buddin following Ordiales’ footsteps at the tail end of the set, to assert a 5-1 run and claim the set in high spirits.
With a full house at the Mall of Asia Arena, the Filipino crowd became the eighth man for Alas Pilipinas in the fourth set. Though Egypt pulled ahead midway, the Philippines steadily reclaimed court dominance point by point, with every player performing at top caliber. By balancing attacking vigor with composed defense, each kill executed by Bagunas and Espejo’s game-winning block became new pages in the history books.
It is no secret that the Philippines’ passion for volleyball runs deep, and this game against Egypt was the fruit of that devotion. While it is true that much development is yet to be done for the sport, the victory showed that the country already possesses the talent, drive, and most importantly, the heart to compete on the world stage.
Fate-determining challenge
Jules: To wrap up the pool phase, World No. 77 Alas Pilipinas confronted World No. 16 Iran last September 18. With both teams holding a 1-1 win-loss record, the Philippines had to overcome their opponents and defy all odds for a chance to advance into the Round of 16. However, fate tilted in favor of the Iranians after a challenge-redirecting decision, in turn overhauling the country’s premature five-set celebration.
Alas Pilipinas shone bright in the extended thriller with unmatched intensity and remarkable offense. The Bagunas-Espejo-Ordiales winger triumvirate capitalized on Iran’s staggered defense, coupled with quick plays by Malabunga and Peng Taguibolos. Alongside these formulaic plays, the Filipinos were also no strangers to out-of-system plays courtesy of veteran experience that ultimately handed them two set wins over Iran.
However, the Philippines’ defense tore a dent in their match, as the Angiolino Frigoni-led roster fell short of stabilizing their digging patterns. Iranian hitters Poriya Khanzadeh and Ali Hajipour each produced 22 points, 19 of which came off attacks. While block touches were able to alter the velocity of the ball, such efforts became obsolete as the Filipino defenders could not anticipate Iran’s offensive output.
Eventually, the duel reached a deciding fifth set that forced Alas Pilipinas to persistently match Iran’s pace and even out the playing field. Achieving multiple match points, a Malabunga block sealed the deal for the Philippines, 20-18, therefore making history in the international men’s volleyball scene. However, Iran’s coach Roberto Piazza called for a net touch challenge that halted the country’s supposed victory.
To the 14,240 spectators’ surprise, Piazza’s challenge was successful, as Malabunga had barely scraped the net while landing on the court. Wiping off Alas’ instant gratification, Iran’s net defenders read Rematar’s playmaking after denying Taguibolos’ quick attack, attaining match point. Finally, fate swung in Iran’s favor upon shutting down Espejo’s kill attempt, putting an end to Alas Pilipinas’ stint in the 2025 World Championship.
All stories end with a fateful conclusion, but Alas’ narrative will now be remembered as one of the greatest what-ifs in Philippine volleyball history. In spite of impeccable offense, the tri-color representatives’ reception and floor defense became their Achilles’ heel, skills that they must improve on to match their international peers. Regardless, the Filipino standouts all contributed to elevating and reshaping the local volleyball scene.
From former college awardees to current team spark plugs, Alas Pilipinas is home to world-class caliber players. With the likes of Bagunas and Espejo having played in professional volleyball leagues, these Filipinos have introduced the world to both refined and brewing talent who are not to be underestimated. Thus, their quest for international gold will remain ablaze for years to come as they persistently refine their strategies.
While their next international stint has yet to be determined, the Frigoni-mentored team will certainly return as underdogs to look out for on the volleyball court. However, no story is told completely until the pen has been lifted, and in Alas Pilipinas’ eyes, this historical narrative will continue to write itself until they have been crowned champions.
