Alas Pilipinas announced its arrival on the global stage with a heart-stopping victory over reigning African champions Egypt, 29-27, 23-25, 25-21, 25-21, keeping its Round of 16 hopes alive in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on a memorable Tuesday night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The home crowd played a pivotal role in the Philippine Men’s National Volleyball Team’s first-ever World Championship win, spurring the team to rise from 89th to 77th in the FIVB rankings—a remarkable leap fueled by passion, resilience, and unwavering support.
Entering the tournament as hosts, Alas Pilipinas leveled their Pool A record to 1-1 with three points, putting all four teams in the group on equal footing and setting the stage for a dramatic, do-or-die final day of pool play on Thursday. Only the top two teams from the group will advance to the Round of 16, with the Philippines taking on world No. 14 Iran at 5:30 p.m., while Egypt faces Tunisia at 1:30 p.m.
“I laid on the ground because I was very happy. This is not just for the Philippines; this team was with me for 15 or 16 months. I’ve seen how they improved, and I was waiting for this moment—to win one match and show everyone how much we’ve grown in these 16 months. That happened today,” said head coach Angiolino Frigoni, collapsing to the floor in pure joy.
The breakthrough came in the first set when the Philippines saved four set points against the world No. 21 Egyptians. Bryan Bagunas, Kim Malabunga, and Leo Ordiales turned the tide with three consecutive points—a power tip, a block, and an ace—sealing the set 29-27.
“When we won the first set, it felt like the best game of our lives. That’s when we started to believe we could do this and win,” said Marck Espejo.
Egypt fought back in the second set, 25-23, but Alas Pilipinas remained composed. In the third, the Philippines broke away from a 20-all stalemate, with Espejo contributing three points in a 5-1 run to move a set away from victory, 25-21.
The fourth set showcased the team’s poise and composure, as the Philippines denied every Egyptian attempt to mount a comeback. Bagunas and Espejo finished the match with a monster hit through a three-man wall and a crucial block on Abdelrahman Elhossiny, respectively, securing a historic win after two hours and 17 minutes.
“I’m just so happy because this is not just a bounce-back performance for me—it’s a bounce-back win for the Philippines,” said 22-year-old Ordiales, who bounced back from a two-point showing against Tunisia to score 21 points on 19 spikes and two aces.
Bagunas led the charge with 25 points on 23 spikes and two blocks, while support from teammates was more evident than in previous matches. Espejo added 13 points on nine spikes, three blocks, and an ace, while middle blockers Kim Malabunga and Lloyd Josafat contributed seven and five points, respectively.
Setter Owa Retamar posted a 39 percent setting efficiency, helping the Philippines climb from the tournament’s deepest diver to its highest jumper.
For Egypt, Seifeldin Hassan Aly led with 15 points, while Mohamed Osman Elhaddad added 14, but it wasn’t enough to stop the home team’s historic triumph.
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