Cheers, tears for Italian guru

In his more than three decades of coaching, Angiolino Frigoni thought that he had seen it all.

That’s why he was so shocked when Alas Pilipinas pulled off a miraculous four-set victory over powerhouse Egypt in the preliminaries of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship late Tuesday at the roaring Mall of Asia Arena.

Frigoni, the 71-year-old mentor from the small city of Brescia in Italy, was seen lying on the floor in happiness and disbelief the moment three Filipino blockers warded off an Egyptian missile to put a lid on the conquest that seemed unthinkable even in his wildest dreams.

“That happened today. I’m very happy,” said Frigoni, who started coaching in 1998 until landing in the Philippines in June of last year through the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program.

“I am 71, and I’ve been to many World Championships, but every team has its story. For me, I had to lie down on the floor because I was so happy.”

Frigoni has all the reasons to sprawl with tears in his eyes.

In a country where men’s volleyball is not as popular as its women’s counterpart, competing on the global stage appears like a suicide mission.

For years, Alas Pilipinas has been suffering numerous heartbreaks: Back-to-back fifth-place finishes in the Southeast Asian Games, missed podium in the SEA V. League and rocky performances under local coach Odjie Mamon and Brazilian Sergio Veloso.

When the Italian guru arrived, the Filipinos still struggled with a winless campaign in the 2025 AVC Men’s Volleyball Champions League and consecutive fourth-place finishes in the SEA V. League, underscoring the need for an overhaul of the program that has been dormant for the longest time.

That’s why posting a historic win over Egypt — a team that Frigoni handled from 2015 to 2020 — was super special as it didn’t just validate all the hard work and sacrifices of the seasoned Italian mentor and his players but also sparked the rise and renewed interest on men’s volleyball.

Frigoni said the win wasn’t just a simple check mark on their record; it was a testament to their maturity, growth and belief in the program that brought them to various parts of the world, including a month-long training in Europe.

“I laid on the ground because I was very happy. This was not just for you and for the Filipinos, but this team was with me for 16 months, and I saw them improve every day,” Frigoni said.

“I was waiting for them to win one match to show everyone how we’ve grown over these 16 months.”

But the veteran mentor knows that the mission is still far from over. Beating Egypt — no matter how historic and dramatic it is — will be worthless if they bow to Iran and completely bomb out of this prestigious 32-nation tournament.

The Filipinos are scheduled to face the Iranians on Thursday at the same venue.

“You have to understand that beating Egypt today doesn’t mean we are the best team in the world. We are the same team as before: Sometimes playing very well, sometimes not. We have to reach consistency at this level to truly compete. Once we are stable, then we can discuss bigger goals,” said Frigoni said, reflecting on his journey that drastically changed in just four, unforgettable sets.

“Today was just one match. We are happy we won, but we know exactly what we need to improve.”