Alas Pilipinas may have missed out on a medal in the opening leg of the 2026 SEA Men’s V League, but head coach Angiolino Frigoni insists his youthful side proved it belongs on the international stage.
Following the Philippines’ 25‑20, 25‑23, 27‑25 defeat to defending AVC Men’s Nations Cup champion Indonesia on Friday, the veteran Italian coach expressed pride in a team assembled barely two months before the tournament and featuring several debutants.
Of the 14 players on the roster, only five had prior senior national team experience.
“To the players we have in the middle of the court now, almost all of them are in their first international experience,” Frigoni said. “I am proud of them because they fight for every point. We made mistakes, okay, we made mistakes, but we were still there. We played every point, and I am very proud of them.”
Despite opening with a five‑set loss to Cambodia, the Nationals pushed Indonesia to the brink in three tightly contested sets. Joshua Magalaman emerged as one of the tournament’s breakout performers, while Jude Garcia, Lirick Mendoza, Jian Salarzon, and Rodge Alejos also impressed in their first senior national team stints.
Frigoni explained that the group represented the best available squad after several invited players declined to join.
“This team has been with me since May 15. Some of the most well‑known players are not here. That doesn’t matter. We are here with the best team that we can have now.”
A Message on Alas Pilipinas Commitment
The 71‑year‑old coach delivered a strong statement about commitment to the national team.
“If they come back—and some of them don’t deserve to come back—because these players will fight also to stay in the national team. And some others that are not here, they are not fighters.”
Frigoni declined to name those absent, saying their decisions no longer concern him. “I don’t want to tell you the names. If you want, you can search for the names of the others, especially those who are not injured. They didn’t commit to the national team. Maybe they have their reasons, but it doesn’t matter to me. All my teams play good volleyball, and this team does too.”
Looking Ahead
Despite missing out on the medal round, Frigoni believes the experience gained against top regional opponents will benefit Alas Pilipinas’ young core.
“We fight, that’s it. We are not here to win. We are here to improve. For us, this match against Indonesia counts more than five matches won. It’s very important to know what we need to be at eye level. Sometimes we are there, but to stay at that level, we have to be more consistent. Almost all of my players are very young. They have a future.”
Alas Pilipinas will close out its campaign against Myanmar in the fifth‑place classification match before shifting focus to the second leg of the Southeast Asian Men’s V Cup in Jakarta later this month.
