Alas Pilipinas men just did what seemed to be impossible on the world stage.

The Philippines, ranked 88th globally, showed that it can go toe-to-toe with higher-ranked squads, pulling off a 29-27, 23-25, 25-21, 25-21 shocker against World No. 21 Egypt at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Tuesday, September 16, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Following the upset, Bryan Bagunas expressed his optimism that Philippine men’s volleyball has an untapped potential waiting to be unleashed, and they are not just for regional sporting events — they deserved to be in this 32-nation tournament.

“Ito na siguro ‘yung simula na para maipakita namin na hindi lang kami hanggang SEA [Southeast Asian] Games, hindi lang kami hanggang Asian Games, may ibubuga rin kami sa World Championship, kagaya nga nito,” Bagunas shared to reporters after the win.

The Alas veteran said they could not have done it without hard work and the support of their Filipino fans.

“Sa tingin ko, malayo kasi tingin ko sobrang underdog ng Pilipinas, pero sa tiyaga at sa suporta ng Filipinos, nandoon tayo. Parang kaya nating ibigay ‘yung best natin, kaya natin makipag-compete sa mga high level [na team],” he said.

Already built for international competitions, the national team captain dropped a game-high 25 points on 23 attacks, keeping his status as the Philippines’ go-to scorer.

“For me, siyempre, palagi naman ‘yung mindset ko is tumulong sa team. Ayun nga, in terms of points, kasi doon ako mas nakakatulong sa team. Hindi ko naman magagawa ‘to kung wala ‘yung mga teammates ko. Sa tulong ng mga teammates ko, lalong-lalo na coaches.”

Bagunas and his squad will gun for a Round of 16 spot against Iran on Thursday, September 18. (ABS-CBN News)