Despite nightmare ending, Ordiales proud of Alas Pilipinas dream stint
Leo Ordiales tried to sleep off the heartbreak.
The morning after Alas Pilipinas’ dramatic exit in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, the 22-year-old opposite spiker stayed in bed, hoping rest would dull the sting. But waking up from sleep couldn’t erase the dramatic image—the moment the Mall of Asia Arena erupted as Kim Malabunga scored off a block in what looked to be a match-winner.
The crowd of 14,240 was already on its feet, sensing a dream about to be realized.
And sleep could not change the challenge that followed either.
Iran asked for a review. The celebration paused. Moments later, the call: net fault. Iran’s point. A few rallies after, Iran completed the comeback—21-25, 25-21, 17-25, 25-23, 22-20—and the Philippines’ bid was over.
“It felt like I was dreaming and then suddenly woke up,” Ordiales told the Inquirer in Filipino. “It hurts, but that’s the game. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. The ball is round. What matters is we learned, and we’ll come back stronger.”
It was a shattering loss, but it couldn’t erase what Alas Pilipinas had built.
From a wild-card entry to World No. 77, the Filipinos shocked African champions Egypt in four sets and battled Iran down to the wire. Their 19th-place finish out of 32 teams put them above Cuba (20), Germany (21) and Japan (23)—and just two spots behind Olympic champion France and former world No. 2 Brazil.
At the heart of that run was Ordiales, a last-minute starter after Steven Rotter was ruled ineligible. Jittery in his debut against Tunisia, he scored just two points and committed nine attack errors. But he found his rhythm quickly, erupting for 21 points in back-to-back games against Egypt and Iran.
“Thank you to my coaches, teammates, and family who never gave up on me,” said Ordiales. “Because of them, I was able to bounce back and regain my confidence. They were truly my aces.”
He finished 15th overall in scoring (44 points), 11th in attacks (40 kills at a 55.56% success rate), 11th in digs (5.67 per game), and tied ninth in aces—alongside team captain Bryan Bagunas.
Bagunas led the team with 70 points (61 attacks, 6 blocks, 3 aces), placing third among the tournament’s top scorers and spikers. Setter Owa Retamar was fourth in excellent sets (111) and also made the top 10 in blocks with Malabunga.
“I’m really proud of Kuya Bry, Kuya Marck, Kuya Kim, and especially Kuya Owa,” Ordiales said. “They were our inspiration and support. Thank you to the legends of Philippine volleyball who were with me in this fight.”
Retamar, who orchestrated the team’s rhythm, underscored the significance of their performance: “This is for every volleyball player who was laughed at and doubted just because they chose to play volleyball. This is the beginning of equal respect and recognition for men’s volleyball.”
Even in defeat, the atmosphere at MOA Arena felt historic. For a team—and the men’s side of the sport—used to empty gyms and quiet crowds, the roars of over 14,000 fans were unforgettable.
“I’ve learned to be braver,” Ordiales said. “No matter who I’m up against, or how many people are watching, if I know I prepared well and my teammates are with me, I have nothing to fear.”
Their FIVB dream may have ended just short of the Round of 16, but Alas Pilipinas leaves with its head high—and eyes fixed on what’s next.
“I’ll use this experience to be stronger for the next matches with the national team,” Ordiales said. “This is only the beginning.”
