It may have been a heartbreaking final game for Alas Pilipinas in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, but Bryan Bagunas believes this is just the beginning of their program’s rise after putting the world on notice.
Bagunas and the Filipino spikers played their hearts out and even celebrated a block by Kim Malabunga—only for a net fault challenge to overturn the call and tie the fifth set at 19.
Iran seized the momentum shift and completed a come-from-behind 21-25, 25-21, 17-25, 25-23, 22-20 victory, stunning Alas Pilipinas and its 14,240 fans at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday.
“Of course, it really hurts for us because we were so close. But at the same time, I’m still happy because our team showed that we can compete at this level,” said an emotional Bagunas after contributing 22 points.
The Philippines may have fallen short of reaching the Round of 16, but Bagunas said it was still a great showing for Alas, a team that once set a goal of just winning a set, but managed to upset African champion Egypt for a breakthrough World Championship win and nearly reached the knockout round.
“Honestly, just winning a set was already history for us. Then we ended up winning an actual game, and we even got close to making it to the Round of 16,” Bagunas said. “This might be the most memorable volleyball experience of my career, especially because I just came back from an injury. I’ve only been back with the team for just over a month, so this whole run meant a lot to me. Even if it ends here for me, it’s been worth it.
“Our coaching staff also did a great job preparing us, and I think that played a big part in why we had such a good result in this tournament.”
The Alas captain, who emerged as the third-best scorer with an average of 23.3 points per game and third-best spiker with a total of 61 kills on a 57.01-percent attack rate, thanked the fans for rallying behind the team—especially against Iran, in front of the largest attendance at the 2025 World Championship.
“I think playing here in the Philippines made a huge difference. We truly felt the support of the Filipino volleyball fans, and that really boosted our morale,” Bagunas said.
“The feeling was incredible. It reminded me of the 2019 SEA Games. It just made me so proud to be Filipino, seeing that kind of support from the crowd. We didn’t expect that so many people would cheer for us. Even though our opponents were strong, the crowd kept lifting us up. We’re really, really thankful,” he added.
After earning the world’s respect, Bagunas and Alas Pilipinas aren’t stopping anytime soon, remaining hungry to bring more glory to Philippine men’s volleyball.
“This experience taught us a lot. Our coaches told us: Don’t stop. Keep working hard and improving. We have to stay humble and consistent,” he said.
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