Alas Pilipinas Men captain Bryan Bagunas. Volleyball World
MANILA — Alas Pilipinas team captain Bryan Bagunas shared on social media his reflections after their recent campaign at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship.
In a heartfelt message addressed to the nation on Saturday, Bagunas dedicated their historic run to the country and its people who made their presence felt in supporting the Alas Men, packing Mall of Asia Arena in their three-game stint against World No. 43 Tunisia, No. 21 Egypt, and 16th-ranked Iran.
The Filipinos were all witnesses to how the Nationals fought their hearts out—despite a lackluster first game against the Tunisians, Alas Men went on to make a huge comeback to score a monumental first set win against Egypt, and they continued to make history as they went out with a win against the significantly higher-ranked squad.
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For their final game, they almost completed a five-set triumph over the Iranians, but a game-changing net fault challenge turned successful, as Iran walked off with a Round of 16 berth.
But as Bagunas noted, the Alas Men won't be remembered "for how it ended, but for how much we fought," as they proved that the Philippines can compete with the world's best teams in men's volleyball.
After all, it was still an overachievement for the second-lowest-ranked crew as the Pinoy spikers concluded at 19th place, just near World No. 2 Brazil and double Olympic champion France (18th), and ahead of fellow Asian teams Qatar and Japan, which are at 22nd and 23rd, respectively.
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"Pilipinas, this one is for you," Bagunas said as he started his Facebook post.
"I’m so proud of my Team @alaspilipinasvolley Ibinuhos namin lahat ng meron kami, and even if the result wasn’t what we expected, reaching this far was already beyond what we once imagined. Alam ko sa puso ko na binigay namin ang lahat," he added.
It was also Bagunas' first stint since recovering from injury—and he made it known that he could carry the Philippines' hopes on his shoulders, ending as the third-best scorer in the pool phase.
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"This game will forever be unforgettable, hindi lang dahil World Championship ito, pero dahil comeback ko rin ito after my injury. Of course, thank you so much to Dr. Canlas and my physical therapist @bethelicious_hey na hindi ako iniwan sa recovery journey ko," he added.
The star out of National University went on to thank his coaches and the local volleyball federation, PNVF, and its President Ramon "Tats" Suzara.
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"To our coaches na never tumigil maniwala, to PNVF Sir Tats Suzara and our sponsors na hindi kami pinabayaan maraming salamat po. And to my wife @nicoletracytan and my family, your love is my anchor through both victory and defeat.
The Osaka Bluteon spiker did not forget to thank his countrymen, saying that the fan support fueled their aspirations on the court.
"Most of all, sa lahat ng Pilipino na sumuporta, sumigaw, at nagbigay ng lakas kayo ang naging strength namin in our lowest moment. Hindi man namin nakuha ang ending na gusto namin, we carried the pride of the Philippines on that court," he said.
"This World Championship will always be remembered not for how it ended, but for how much we fought, how much we believed, and how much we grew together as Team Alas Pilipinas," the 27-year-old Bagunas concluded.
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