Alas Pilipinas Men fall to Tunisia in FIVB Men’s World Championship opener

Alas Pilipinas Men fell to Tunisia, 25-13, 25-17, 25-23, in the opening match of the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

After trailing for most of the match, the Philippines went neck-and-neck with world No. 40 Tunisia in the third set.

Bryan Bagunas led the charge in the third, scoring 11 points and giving the national team the edge during crucial moments.

Down 4-3 in the frame, Bagunas sparked a personal 3-0 run, starting with an attack, then delivering back-to-back aces to give the Philippines a 6-4 lead. However, his next serve was an error, halting the short run.

Bagunas again flexed his experience in the end game.

With Tunisia up 20-17, Bagunas’ attacks brought the Philippines within one, before a team error stopped their momentum. He later scored back-to-back points to tie the set at 21, but Tunisia quickly regained the lead.

The Alas Pilipinas captain responded, tying the score again at 22, but a service error handed Tunisia the advantage.

Bagunas managed to level the score once more, but Tunisia showed composure under pressure to close out the match.

Bagunas finished with 23 points, built on 20 attacks and a block, while veteran Marck Espejo added nine points.

Oussama Ben Romdhane led Tunisia with 17 points off 15 attacks and two blocks.

Alas Pilipinas will next face Egypt on Tuesday, while Tunisia takes on Iran the same day.

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—JMB, GMA Integrated News