Bryan Bagunas’ gallant return electrified the crowd, but it was not enough to save Alas Pilipinas from a 13-25, 17-25, 23-25 defeat to Tunisia in their historic FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship debut on Friday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Bagunas, playing his first official match since suffering a left knee injury in August 2024, gave world No.82 Philippines its finest stretch on the global stage.
With Tunisia threatening to pull away in the third set at 20-17, the 6-foot-5 outside hitter unleashed a scoring barrage. He fired six straight points to knot the frame at 23 — all to the delight of a roaring MOA Arena crowd that included President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“Sa third set, nakita ko naman ‘yung potential ng men’s volleyball. Sobrang natuwa ako na maganda ‘yung performance nung third set, pero ‘yun nga, hindi naging maganda ‘yung outcome. But for sure, babawi kami sa next game,” said Bagunas, who finished with 23 points built on 20-of-37 attacks, two aces, and a block.
But the 11-time African champions, ranked 43rd in the world, showed composure down the stretch.
Ben Romdhane pounded a kill off Peng Taguibolos to reach match point, then delivered a powerful serve that forced a poor reception from Marck Espejo.
Josh Ybañez chased the ball near the court’s edge, setting up an easy putaway for Khaled Ben Slimene to seal Tunisia’s win in just one hour and 22 minutes.
“We played three sets. The first two, especially the first one, were very tense. Too many emotions for the players, especially the younger ones. But slowly we started to play our volleyball with defense and good attacks,” said Alas head coach Angiolino Frigoni.
“The third set was what I would like for this team — that they fight for every point.”
Espejo added nine points for the Philippines, while Taguibolos contributed four, but the team’s supporting cast struggled to provide consistent scoring.
“Happy ako kay [Bryan] na naka-recover. Ang gandang recovery kasi siya pa rin ang ace ng team. Happy at proud ako sa kaniya, pero as a team naman po, kailangan namin mas magtulungan pa,” said Espejo, stressing the need for more balance.
Romdhane spearheaded Tunisia’s offense with 17 points on 15-of-22 attacks and two blocks. Meanwhile, Ahmed Kadhi, Elyes Karamosli, and Ali Bongui chipped in nine points each.
Alas Pilipinas (0-1) will try to bounce back when they face world No.23 Egypt, the reigning African Nations champion, on Tuesday at 5:30 PM, still at the MOA Arena.
