THE Alas Pilipinas Men’s and Women’s national volleyball teams are both fully committed and locked in as they ramp up their build-ups, intensifying their efforts ahead of their respective international tournaments.
With the shared goal of raising the Philippines’ standing in the global volleyball scene, both teams continue to train hard and compete in key events that could pave the way for long-term success.
As shown in separate posts of Alas Pilipinas Volley, both the men’s and women’s teams are currently putting in the work as they gear up for another round of international competition representing the Philippines.
Headed to Europe
The Alas Men’s national team has flown to Europe to kick off a series of overseas training camps, part of their intense buildup for the Philippines’ historic hosting of the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship next month.
Led by Italian head coach Angiolino Frigoni, members of the Alas pool departed on Wednesday and will hold training sessions in Morocco, Romania, and Portugal as they enter the final phase of their preparations.
Veterans Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas headline the squad, alongside Owa Retamar, Kim Malabunga, Steven Rotter, Jack Kalingking, and Vince Lorenzo. Espejo is back after missing the SEA V.League, while Bagunas is returning to action following a year-long recovery from a knee injury.
The team also includes rising stars such as Buds Buddin, Leo Ordiales, Louie Ramirez, Jade Disquitado, Peng Taguibolos, Lloyd Josafat, Ken Batas, Eco Adajar, and Josh Ybañez.
The Alas Men’s team previously held a two-week training camp in Italy in September 2024. This time, they are gearing up for the tournament set from September 12 to 28, where they’ll face Iran, Egypt, and Tunisia in Pool A.
Back After Bronze
Meanwhile, the Alas Women’s team is back on the court, resuming training for the second leg of the 5th Southeast Asian (SEA) Women’s V.League after securing a bronze medal in the first leg.
Alas Pilipinas ended Leg 1 on a strong note, defeating Indonesia in four sets—25-21, 23-25, 25-17, 25-19—to claim a well-earned third-place finish in Thailand. Angel Canino led the way, delivering an efficient performance and earned the 1st Best Outside Hitter award.
It marked her third major individual honor following previous AVC awards as Best Opposite Spiker in the 2024 Challenge Cup and Best Outside Spiker in the 2025 Nations Cup.
Despite the promising performance, the Philippines continues to chase its first gold or silver in the SEA V.League, with Thailand dominating the title since 2019 and Vietnam and Indonesia regularly contesting the second spot.
Nonetheless, this latest bronze is a positive step forward—Alas Women’s third straight third-place finish in the tournament. The team returned to training on Wednesday in preparation for the second leg.
They will again battle Thailand, host Vietnam, and Indonesia from August 8 to 10 in hopes of finally breaking through to the top two.
