NOW a two-time champion overseas, Bryan Bagunas has received a vote of confidence from his longtime college and Philippine team mentor Dante Alinsunurin that his spot in the national squad is unquestionable.
READ: Bryan Bagunas wins back-to-back league championships in Taiwan
Alinsunurin bared to SPIN.ph that in the midst of the formation of the new national team pool for the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship, Bagunas remains high on the list of those under consideration given how the FIVB competition calendars for club and national teams are set apart.
"Tingin ko naman kailangan niya talagang maglaro kasi ‘yun naman talaga ‘yung magiging sitwasyon dahil ‘yung calendars ng national teams at ng club teams, talagang magkalayo na ngayon. Kaya importante na kailangang makasama talaga siya sa team," said Alinsunurin.
And as his mentor in Bagunas' most successful stint as a national team ace to date in the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, Alinsunurin knows Bagunas' recent string of successes overseas is just the beginning of what he's still capable of achieving in his pro career.
"Kay Bryan (Bagunas), deserving siya sa kung ano ‘yung naging success niya kasi talagang trinabaho niya ‘yan mula simula. Proud ako sa kanya na naging back-to-back champion siya (sa Taiwan).
"Sigurado, mas marami pa siyang championships na makukuha in terms of international (competitions)," Alinsunurin said.
Bagunas' international volleyball credentials reached a new high after his second straight Top Volleyball League (TVL) championship in Taiwan the year after winning league MVP honors.
It remains uncertain, however, whether Bagunas will immediately suit up for his domestic club team Cignal HD Spikers in the ongoing 2024 Spikers' Turf Open Conference.
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