Alas Pilipinas made history as they recorded the first win of the Philippines in the FIVB Men’s World Championship against African champions Egypt, 29-27, 23-25, 25-21, 25-21, on September 16 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
In the first set, Alas Pilipinas showed grit after team captain Bryan Bagunas, Kim Malabunga, and Leo Ordiales delivered three straight points to snatch the set, 29-27.
Espejo Sparks Crucial Run After Dropping Second Set
“When we won the first set, it felt like the best game of our lives, and that’s when we started to think that we can do this and win,” Marck Espejo said after the match.
After losing the second set, Espejo took the mantle in the third set as he led a 5-1 run to step closer to victory. In the fourth set, Alas Pilipinas remained confident and composed as they denied the African champions a comeback.
“I lay on the ground because I was very happy. This is not just for the Philippines; this team was with me for 15 or 16 months, and I saw how they improved,” said Alas Pilipinas head coach Angiolino Frigoni, who couldn’t help but collapse to the floor after their victory. “And I was waiting for that winning moment, to win one match to show everybody how much we improved in these 16 months – and that happened today.”
Team captain Bryan Bagunas led the team with 25 points in 23 attacks and two blocks, while Leo Ordianles bounced back big with 21 points in 19 attacks and two service aces. Marck Espejo added 13 points in nine attacks, three blocks, and an ace, with 30.56% excellent reception, while setter Owa Retamar recorded 40 excellent sets. Alas Pilipinas libero Josh Ybanez and Ordiales led the team in digging, each having a 37.5% efficiency.
For Egypt, Seifeldin Hassan Aly led the team with 15 points in 14 attacks and a block, while Mohamed Osman Elhaddad contributed 14 points in nine attacks and five blocks.
Despite their historic win, coach Angiolino Frigoni remained humble and reminded his ward that winning a match is not the end. He said, “I’m very happy. I am 71, and I’ve been to many World Championships, but every team has its story. For me, I had to lie down on the floor because I was so happy.”
“You have to understand that beating Egypt today doesn’t mean we are the best team in the world. We are the same team as before: sometimes playing very well, sometimes not. We have to reach consistency at this level to truly compete. Once we are stable, then we can discuss bigger goals.
“Today was just one match. We are happy we won, but we know exactly what we need to improve.”
The Philippines will face Iran on September 18, 5:30 p.m., while Egypt takes on Tunisia earlier at 1:30 p.m.
about:blankTurn on screen reader support
To enable screen reader support, press ⌘+Option+Z To learn about keyboard shortcuts, press ⌘slash
Banner hidden
解釋
