ALAS Pilipinas Men head coach Angiolino Frigoni already has his final 14 players sorted out ahead of their historic debut campaign in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on home soil.
Stern as he’s always been, the 71-year-old mentor refused to give even the slightest of hints on which aces from his 21-player pool will don the national tricolors in the world stage.
One thing he guaranteed was that there aren’t any shoo-ins — not even Marck Espejo and not even Bryan Bagunas.
“I already have [the final roster] but I will not tell to the press before I tell the players,” Frigoni asserted.
“I will not tell you before I tell the players. I don’t know if Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas are in. They are practicing, they are back from their injuries," he added. “Maybe Bryan is not at the top of his shape but he’s back.”
Knee injuries sidelined the Nationals’ strongest one-two punch over the last year, with Espejo only missing a few months compared to a full year’s absence for Bagunas.
From here on out, with just four days left before the Worlds, there won’t be any more changes or extra preparations in order for the national team.
Frigoni stays the course
The way Frigoni puts it, last-minute workarounds will have no further effect on how Alas Men will fare in the group stage against powerhouse trio Tunisia, Egypt and Iran.
“I don’t want to put any pressure on the players than they already have. We don’t have to study at the last moment because tomorrow, we have an exam,” Frigoni said.
“What we did, we did. We have to just stay in shape for the first match.”
The final rosters of all 32 teams are expected to be released within the next two days after the preliminary inquiry of the FIVB and other pertinent tournament stakeholders.
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