PNVF and AVC president Tats Suzara during a press conference.–Lance Agcaoili/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas fields a mix of young guns and veterans in the Invitationals, which serves as a test event for the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship (FIVB MWCH) Philippines 2025.
The Philippines takes on Indonesian club Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi on Tuesday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
READ: Bryan Bagunas rejoins Alas Pilipinas at US camp for FIVB Worlds
FIVB #MWCH2025 ambassadors Bryan Bagunas and Alyssa Valdez on the country’s upcoming hosting of the World Championship. @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/CiLPA38jnQ
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) June 9, 2025
The Filipinos and Indonesians kick off the three-day event at 7:30 p.m. after the duel between Hyundai Capital Skywalkers of South Korea and the Thailand National Team at 4 p.m.
Alas Pilipinas takes on Hyundai on Wednesday, and wraps up its four-team friendlies on Thursday against the Thai national team.
After Alas banked on a veteran roster in the AVC Champions League in Japan and their New York trip, coach Angiolino Frigoni added fresh faces to their roster for the three-day Invitational.
The UAAP Season 87 MVP Ken Batas of Ateneo represents Alas for the first time with UST’s two-time MVP winner Josh Ybañez, National University’s five-peat champions Buds Buddin, Leo Ordiales, and Peng Taguibolos, and La Salle setter Eco Adajar.
Team captain Marck Espejo will lead the young guns with fellow mainstays Malabunga, Owa Retamar, Jau Umandal, Steve Rotter, JP Bugaoan,Lloyd Josafat, Louie Ramirez, and returning national team libero Jack Kalingking.
READ: Alas Pilipinas men winless to end AVC Champions League stint
Jackson Reed, a Filipino-American outside player who joined from their New York trip, is debuting for Alas bringing his NCAA Division 1 experience from the University of Southern California.
“I think it’s great that they included so many players in the pool. You can really see the healthy competition, not just from the veterans but also from the younger players stepping up. This kind of mix between young and experienced players is really good for the future of the men’s national team,” said World Championship ambassador Bryan Bagunas, who is working his way to a comeback from a knee injury.
“Our New York trip went well. We played exhibition matches against some Fil-Am teams, and the players showed great performance. Everyone’s super excited for the World Championship, but of course, we still have a lot of tournaments before that. The goal is to learn something from every game we play.”
Thailand is coached by Park Ki Won with Amornthep Khonhanas captain, Hyundai has Fabio Storti and Tae Jun Jeong and Jakarta has Reidel Alfonso Gonzares Toiran and Nizar Julfikar Munawar.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) and AVC president Tats Suzara signed a partnership with longtime patron Rebisco, headed by vice chairman Jonathan Ng, with less than 100 days remaining before the 32-nation world championship from September 12 to 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and SM Mall of Asia Arena.
READ: Alas Pilipinas men set for overseas stints, New York camp
“As proud sponsors of the Men’s Volleyball World Championship, we at Rebisco, together with the PNVF, fully support the continued development and popularity of volleyball among Filipinos,” said Ng. “We see the sport as a vehicle of inspiration for our countrymen to be the best that they can be. The values of hard work, discipline, sportsmanship, integrity, and dedication that our players display can be applied to all aspects of Filipino life.”
Alyssa Valdez was also named as FIVB MWCH ambassador, joining Bagunas and Eya Laure.
“Volleyball has been such a huge part of my life, and it feels like a full-circle moment to now be sharing the court as an ambassador for the Men’s World Championship,” said Valdez in Filipino. “We’re definitely moving in the right direction. This Invitational shows how big and passionate the volleyball community is in the Philippines. It’s great to cap it off with a World Championship event. From the recent UAAP men’s finals to the Spikers’ Turf championship, it’s all very promising. Men’s volleyball is clearly growing, slowly but surely, and that includes beach volleyball, too, not just indoor.”
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Bagunas said that it’s only fitting to have Spikers’ Turf president Valdez in promoting the sport.
“When you think of volleyball in the Philippines, you think of Alyssa. She really helped raise the popularity of the sport here. We’re proud and happy that she’s part of this because someone like her is exactly what we need as an ambassador,” she said.
