Bryan Bagunas makes history with Japan SV. League title

Bryan Bagunas.–Photo from Bryan Bagunas’ Instagram

MANILA, Philippines — Bryan Bagunas earned his first Japan SV. League title with the Osaka Bluteon, completing a successful return to the international pro league.

Bagunas made history as the first Filipino men’s volleyball player to win the prestigious championship in Japan after Osaka pulled off a series comeback with a 25-22, 25-20, 25-18 sweep in Game 3 to dethrone the Suntory Sunbirds on Sunday.

Japanese national team star Yuji Nishida finished with 15 points, including the championship-clinching ace, while Cuban spiker Miguel Angel Lopez delivered 19 points to beat the Ran Takahashi-led Sunbirds.

READ: Osaka veteran thrilled at prospect of playing with Bryan Bagunas

The Alas Pilipinas captain only played in Game 1 and scored three points as a substitute with two points, as Suntory bagged the series opener 26-24, 22-25, 25-16, 25-23, last Friday. 

But the Bluteon never gave up forcing a series opener, eking out a 13-25, 25-23, 25-22, 20-25, 15-9 result in Game 2 behind the duo of Nishida and Lopez. 

The 28-year-old outside spiker returned to Japan after he made an epic comeback from a knee injury in the FIVB Men’s World Championship and led Alas Pilipinas’ gallant stand, beating Egypt and narrowly missing the round of 16 with a heartbreaking five-set loss to Iran.

It was his third overseas stint after winning two titles and one MVP trophy for WinStreak Club in Taiwan. He made his international debut also in Japan with Oita Miyoshi.

Bagunas found himself in the stacked rotation of the Bluteon during the regular season after finishing second with a 38-6 record behind top seed Suntory.

The former National University star scored a total of 31 points built on 23 kills, five blocks, and three aces in 39 matches played during the regular season.

Bagunas joined Santiago, who last won an SV.League title with the Osaka Marvelous last year. Alyssa Solomon was this year’s import for Osaka but settled for silver.

Marck Espejo also won a championship in South Korea, and he is now seeing action in Taiwan.