Bryan Bagunas marked his long-awaited return from injury with a 23-point outing in Alas Pilipinas' straight-sets defeat to Tunisia in their historic FIVB Men's World Championship debut.
Bryan Bagunas couldn’t script a perfect return, but he found pride in Alas Pilipinas’ fighting spirit as the country opened its historic 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship campaign.
The national team bowed to world No. 43 Tunisia in straight sets, 13-25, 17-25, 23-25, on Friday, September 12, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Bagunas, however, stood as the bright spot with a game-high 23 points on 20 attacks, one block, and two aces.
“For me, ‘di good start pero sa third set nakita ko ‘yung potential ng men’s volleyball,” Bagunas said. “Sobrang natuwa ako na maganda ‘yung performance nung third set pero hindi naging maganda outcome. Pero for sure babawi kami sa next game.”
Back in the taraflex
The 27-year-old admitted stepping back on the court was an emotional milestone after nearly a year away.
Bryan Bagunas spikes the ball during Alas' match against Tunisia in the 2025 FIVB Men's World Championship. | Photo: RM Chua/One Sports
The match against Tunisia marked Bagunas’ first official outing since suffering an ACL injury in the 2024 SEA V.League last August.
“Sobrang saya ako kasi almost a year bago ako nakabalik,” he said. “Masaya ako na nakakatulong ulit ako sa team.”
Looking ahead
The Philippines entered the World Championship as the second-lowest-ranked squad at No. 82.
Nonetheless, Bagunas sees the global tilt as a chance not just to compete but to prove that the Philippines belongs in volleyball’s biggest stage.
“Alam naman natin na itong naglalaro sa World Championship is top of the top. In-expect namin na every country, malakas so kailangan lang talaga namin mag-perform nang maayos at i-apply ‘yung natutunan namin sa training,” he explained.
[ALSO READ: What do Alas Pilipinas wish for at the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship?]
Up next for Alas Men will be African champions Egypt on Tuesday, September 16.
With an even tougher task ahead, Bagunas stressed the need for fewer lapses in order to possibly pull off the major upset.
“Nakita natin sa game na napakaraming errors. Siguro less errors sa next game and focus sa mga little mistakes,” he said.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.