Alas Pilipinas came really close to forcing an extended match against Tunisia in their historic FIVB Men’s World Championship debut.
Alas Pilipinas showed fight, but were unable to keep up against Tunisia to open their FIVB Men’s World Championship campaign on Friday, September 12, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
Despite going toe-to-toe with the Eagles in the last two sets, Alas men fell 13-25, 17-25, 23-25 to a Tunisia squad that flexed their height and veteran experience to score their own opening day victory.
Still, there were a number of positives for Alas in this match, which they could build upon as they take on world no. 23 Egypt next Tuesday, September 16.
Bagunas sets the tone for Alas
As a silver lining, tonight’s game marked the return of Alas Men skipper Bryan Bagunas, who made his return to the taraflex after a lengthy 384-day layoff. Any questions about the Bazooka’s health and fitness should have been put to rest after this game, after he finished with a game-high 23 points in the Nationals’ World Championship debut.
Bagunas was the engine for Alas throughout the match, especially during a Set 1 marred by opening game jitters and a struggle to match up against Tunisia’s heavy services and overwhelming physical edge. Throughout this flat stretch, it was Bagunas who successfully poked through the Eagles’ defense as he flexed his veteran wits to fire crafty shots and off-the-block hits.
This would be the story of Bagunas’ long-awaited return, which culminated in a fiery Set 3 performance where he scored five-straight points to keep the Nationals afloat. Eleven of the Bazooka’s 23 came in the final set, where Alas Men seemed ready to force a surprise fourth set against the Eagles.
“For me, it’s a really good start, and for the third set, nakita ko naman ‘yung potential ng [Alas Men], na sobrang natuwa ako nung performance ng third set. But ayun na nga, hindi naging maganda ‘yung outcome, but syempre, kami babawi kami sa next game,” Bagunas said.
As he did in the past two sets, the Bazooka knew which angles to attack against the towering Tunisian block, and a floor defense that seemed impenetrable all game.
“Sobrang saya ako, kasi almost a year, ngayon lang ako nakabalik sa court. Sobrang masaya na nakakatulong ulit ako sa country,” the Alas skipper said.
Bagunas relished the opportunity to play against the Eagles, who were led by outside hitter Oussama Ben Romdhane with 17 points, along with a trio of nine-point outings from Ahmed Kadhi, Elyes Karamosli, and Ali Bongui.
“Syempre alam naman natin na ang naglalaro dito sa World Championship is top of the top, pinli ang Top 32, so in-expect naman namin na every country sobrang malakas. Kailangan lang namin mag-focus nang maayos, and kung anoman natutunan namin sa training, ma-apply,” he said.
Homecourt advantage
Apart from their captain’s successful comeback, Alas Pilipinas also enjoyed a home crowd advantage for their opener, with a decent crowd making it to the MOA Arena for game day. As Alas found their groove against the Eagles, so did the home audience, as their cheers rang louder and louder.
This home court advantage reached its fever pitch in Set 3 as the Nationals went toe-to-toe against the red-hot Tunisia. For each long rally and perfect dig by both teams came passionate screams from fans who hoped for the home team to extend the match.
Head coach Angiolino Frigoni, who previously called on the Filipino fans, was pleased to see a sizeable crowd at the venue.
“They don’t leave us alone! It’s what I said before, I am very happy for the support here, they give us support,” said Frigoni, who let out a rare smile when asked about the matter.
While he acknowledged the “pressure” that came with playing for a home crowd, Frigoni knows that the seventh man will be crucial as Alas tries to rebound against The Pharaohs.
“If they can come against Tunisia, against Iran, I would be very happy, and the team would be very happy,” continued Frigoni.
The Italian mentor also made sure to emphasize the bigger picture, and that is the Filipinos getting to see the beauty of world-class volleyball right at home.
“I think this is a very good opportunity for everybody. Not just to support Filipinos, but to see the high level of volleyball, because the [2025] World Championship is just starting, and today we just have one match. Slowly, we will see the quarterfinal, the semifinal, and the final. They can have a very big opportunity to see a high level of volleyball.
With their first game now in the books, the Nationals hope to fare better against the Pharaohs this Tuesday, also at the SM MOA Arena. Hopefully, that fiery Set 3 from Bagunas and Alas was indeed the sign that the Philippines can keep up with some of the world’s best men’s volleyball teams.
Banner image courtesy of Volleyball World.