Bryan Bagunas expressed pride as Alas Pilipinas Men bounced back from losing a gold medal to securing a hard-earned SEA Games bronze.
Bryan Bagunas couldn’t be any prouder of how Alas Pilipinas Men responded when their 33rd Southeast Asian Games campaign was on the line.
Down two sets and staring at a frustrating finish, Alas Men mounted a rousing reverse sweep against Vietnam, 23-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-22, 16-14, to capture the bronze medal on Friday, December 19, at the Indoor Stadium Huamark in Bangkok.
Despite going down early in the match, Bagunas shared that his team knew that the match was far from over.
“Actually kami lahat, sinabi namin sa isa't isa na, ayun nga, laban namin, mahaba pa 'yung laban. So hindi 'yun naman natatapos 'yung laro sa two sets lang,” Bagunas said.
“So nilaban namin hanggang dulo, then 'yun, nakita ko naman sa mga teammates ko na talagang inilaban nila.”
Learning from World Championship experience
Bagunas also pointed to the national team’s exposure in the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship as a key learning experience, which proved to be vital in their final match.
“Actually, sobrang laki nang naitulong sa amin, kaso hindi lang namin naituloy-tuloy talaga,” the 28-year-old spiker said. “Talagang, 'yun nga, na-overconfident din siguro kami, kaya 'yung mga last few games namin hindi ganun ka-ok.”
“Dito, sa tingin ko naman, lumabas naman ‘yung natutunan namin.”
A hard-fought bronze finish
Beyond tactics and execution, Bagunas stressed that the victory was also about pride, after a run that fell short of the team’s original gold medal ambitions.
“Actually, sinabi rin naman namin na ilalaban namin to para sarili namin kasi, siyempre, marami kami pagkukulang sa mga last game namin,” he said.
“So, sabi namin sa isa't isa na ilaban namin, ilaban talaga namin to kahit bronze lang, kahit 'di ito ‘yung pinipicture namin dito sa SEA Games.”
At the end of the day, Bagunas and the rest of Alas Men end their historic year with a bronze, which more than carries enough weight for Philippine volleyball.
“Talagang pinagandaan namin is lumabang kami sa gold medal. But ‘yun nga, we are so happy pa rin na nakuha namin ‘yung bronze.”
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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.