PASAY City — Philippine men’s volleyball reached a historic milestone Tuesday night as Alas Pilipinas stunned powerhouse Egypt, 29-27, 23-25, 25-21, 25-21, to clinch its first-ever victory in the FIVB Men’s World Championship 2025 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Bryan Bagunas powered the breakthrough with 24 points from 22 attacks and two blocks, while Negrense standout Leo Ordiales and Marck Espejo chipped in 21 and 19, respectively, to ignite the landmark triumph.
The win not only tied the Filipinos with Egypt at 1-1 in Pool A but also etched the country’s name on the world stage in its debut appearance.
The opening set showcased the Filipinos’ grit as they erased set point at 26-27 before Bagunas, Kim Malabunga, and Ordiales strung together three straight markers to snatch the frame, 29-27.
After conceding the second set, Alas Pilipinas roared back in the third, leaning on its attacking trio for a 25-21 finish. The fourth set also went down the wire, but the Filipinos closed strong to seal the historic upset.
Ordiales, a native of Talisay City, Negros Occidental, said the team drew strength from bouncing back after their tournament-opening loss to Tunisia.
“I am super happy that we got the win, but I am also happy that I played well,” Ordiales said in his televised Player of the Game interview.
“After our loss to Tunisia, we bonded as a team, we talked about our errors, after that we practiced and we executed well (in the game),” he added.
For Egypt, Seifeldin Hassan Aly topscored with 15 points while Mohamed Osman Elhaddad tallied 14 in the losing effort./PN
