John Franklin Kennedy Caacbay

World no. 77 Alas Pilipinas Men in action against 16th-ranked Iran at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship, September 18, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

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Alas Pilipinas

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758194466065viber_image_2025-09-18_18-23-18-895.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>World no. 77 Alas Pilipinas Men in action against 16th-ranked Iran at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men&#x27;s World Championship, September 18, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News </div>MANILA (UPDATED) — A heartbreaking result showed how far Philippine men&#x27;s volleyball has progressed, after the Alas Pilipinas Men succumbed to a higher-ranked Iran squad in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men&#x27;s World Championship on Thursday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.The Alas Men showed great fight but ultimately failed to protect a one-set lead and squandered several match points in a painful 25-21, 21-25, 25-17, 23-25, 20-22 defeat to world No. 16 Iran — a loss that dashed their hopes of advancing to the knockout round of the tournament.Making the result all the more painful is that the Alas Men had initially thought they claimed the win on a kill block late in Set 5 at the 19-18 mark, but a challenge by Iran revealed a net fault, neutralizing the winning point to make it a 19-all game.Upon the restart of the match, the Iranians took charge and went away to enter the final 16.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/volleyball/2025/9/17/fivb-worlds-fearless-alas-men-still-embracing-nothing-to-lose-mindset-ahead-of-iran-bout-2030">READ: FIVB Worlds: Fearless Alas Men still embracing &#x27;nothing to lose&#x27; mindset ahead of Iran bout</a></div>Kazemi Poshtpari Yousef lifted Iran to 20-19, but team captain Bryan Bagunas was there to save one match point with an attack, tying things at 20-all.However, Ali Haghparast and Yousef were there to break the hearts of Alas Men and the 14,240 fans that packed the Pasay arena, giving Iran the much-needed points to end Pool A action with a two-hour, five-minute match.Nonetheless, the Alas Men can hold their heads high upon their exit from the tournament, having scored a historic win against Egypt in their previous assignment and further proving that they could be at this level of men&#x27;s volleyball.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/volleyball/2025/9/17/angiolino-frigoni-keeps-alas-men-grounded-after-historic-win-in-fivb-worlds-1738">READ: Volleyball: Angiolino Frigoni keeps Alas Men grounded after historic win in FIVB Worlds</a></div>&quot;Siyempre, sobrang masakit po para sa &#x27;min kasi nandun na po kami,&quot; said Bagunas. &quot;Pero masaya pa din po &#x27;ko, kasi naipakita ng team namin na kaya naming makipag-compete sa ganitong klaseng level ng tournament.&quot;In Set 1, the Bagunas-captained squad pounced on the error-prone Iranians, who had 11 errors in that frame alone, as Marck Espejo and Leo Ordiales powered the team offense with five points each during that frame.It was the visitors&#x27; time to bounce back in Set 2 as they secured Set 2, 25-21. Ordiales saved one set point at 24-21, but Ali Hajipour was there for the clincher with an off-the-block hit.Alas Men regrouped in Set 3, as they unleashed a 10-3 run midway from the 9-all count, for a 19-12 lead. The Nationals kept the Iranians at bay and secured the frame with an Espejo kill, 25-17.But the Iranians escaped in the fourth period, 25-23, forcing a decider as Hajipour nailed an off-the-block hit on Bagunas.Everyone thought it was over for Alas in the final set, as the Iranians built a 10-6 lead, but a 6-1 run gave the Nationals once more chance, capped by a Bagunas kill that gave the home team the lead, 12-11.For the Alas scoring, Ordiales made his presence felt with 21 points on 19 attacks, one block and an ace, Espejo had 15 markers on 12 attacks and three blocks, and Malabunga rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10.

Maraming salamat sa laban, Alas Pilipinas! #MWCH2025

Maraming salamat sa laban, Alas Pilipinas! #MWCH2025

FIVB Worlds: Heartbreaker as gallant Alas Pilipinas Men fall to higher-ranked Iran

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FIVB Worlds: Heartbreaker as gallant Alas Pilipinas Men fall to higher-ranked Iran

Kennedy Caacbay,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 18, 2025 07:54 PM PHT

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Updated Sep 18, 2025 10:06 PM PHT

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2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship

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