Alas Pilipinas Men is off a strong start in the 2024 SEA V.League under new head coach, Angiolino Frigoni.
Italian coach Angiolino Frigoni was off to a good start in his new coaching journey with Alas Pilipinas Men.
Frigoni guided the squad to a hard-fought four-set victory over Vietnam, 25-21, 25-22, 18-25, 25-23, in the opening leg of the 2024 SEA V.League in front of an enthusiastic home crowd at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila on Friday, Aug. 16.
Reflecting on his debut with Alas, Frigoni expressed satisfaction with the Nationals' performance, saying that while there were shaky moments in the third set, what was important was that the squad played as a unit.
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"I am very happy. It’s my first match with this national team and we played pretty good. We had a moment in the third set when we were not so stable. Our attack and receive were off but we played as a team, and that is important,” Frigoni told reporters after the match.
Despite limited preparation with only three friendly matches against the University of Taipei, Frigoni acknowledged the national team's progress.
"The work we did over the past two months is visible in the match. Honestly, I didn’t expect the team to play this well today, but I am very happy,” said Frigoni.
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While Alas Pilipinas performed well against Vietnam, Frigoni remained realistic about the team’s current standing in facing other top-tier nations moving forward, especially with the Philippines hosting the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship.
"I think we are very far from the highest level. We have to compete at this level now. Maybe in the future, we can improve, but for now, this is our level. While we aspire to reach higher levels, we need to succeed at this level first,” Frigoni explained.
"We cannot leap from where we are to the top level immediately. We have to advance incrementally. If we show that we can compete effectively in our upcoming matches, it will be a good start,” he added.
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The veteran Italian coach highlighted the promise of the team’s younger players after fielding a lineup full of collegiate stars to close the fourth set.
NCAA Most Valuable Player Louie Ramirez scored two crucial points in the endgame before superstar outside hitter Bryan Bagunas was put back in the game, which paid off as he sealed the victory.
"There are a lot of young players, and each one needs to improve in various aspects. I see potential here. While we are not yet at the level to compete with the world’s top teams, there is potential to excel at our current level," said Frigoni.
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"Some are still in university, and my role is to help them improve. The future is uncertain — I am not a god, just a coach. But I will do my best to develop these players and see where we can go," he added.
Alas Pilipinas Men will look to continue their winning ways tomorrow, Aug. 17, against reigning champion Indonesia at 6:00 p.m.