DESPITE bowing out of medal contention in the 2026 Southeast Asian (SEA) V.Cup, Alas Pilipinas men’s national volleyball team head coach Angiolino Frigoni praised the players who answered the call and fought until the end.
Alas Pilipinas put up a spirited performance against Indonesia but ultimately bowed in straight sets, 20-25, 23-25, 25-27, on Friday night to see its medal hopes come to an end.
Frigoni, however, chose to focus on the character displayed by his young squad, many of whom are competing in their first international tournament.
“To the players we have in the middle of the court now, almost all of them are in their first international experience. And I said, ‘I am proud of you,’ because they fight for every point,” Frigoni said.
“We made mistakes, okay, we made mistakes. Some mistakes, but we are still there. And we play every point. And I am very proud of them. We are here with the best team that we can have now,” he added.
The current Alas roster features several fresh faces, including Jude Garcia, Josh Magalaman, Greg Ancheta, Rodge Alejos, Jian Salarzon, Axel Van Booke, Adrian Villados, Vennie Ceballos, and Lirick Mendoza.
Only Louie Ramirez, Josh Ybañez, Vince Lorenzo, Lloyd Josafat, and Al-Bukharie Sali remain from the Alas Pilipinas squad that competed in the 2024 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, which the Philippines hosted.
Frigoni stressed that the absence of several established stars did not diminish his confidence in the players who committed to the national team.
“And, okay, some of the most well-known players are not here. That doesn’t matter. We are here with the best team that we can have now. But really, I am proud because I don’t know if the others will come back. It doesn’t matter.
“If they come back, and some of them, they don’t deserve to come back,” he said.
Missing from the SEA V.Cup roster were several members of the previous national team, including Bryan Bagunas, Marck Espejo, Buds Buddin, Jade Disquitado, Leo Ordiales, Kim Malabunga, Peng Taguibolos, Owa Retamar, Eco Adajar, Jack Kalingking, and Vince Lorenzo.
Frigoni underscored that wearing the national team jersey should be earned through commitment, saying the current group has shown the determination needed to remain part of the program.
