1. Overview
Bryan Berroya Bagunas, born on October 10, 1997, is a prominent Filipino volleyball player who primarily plays as an Outside Spiker. He has distinguished himself in collegiate, club, and international competitions, earning numerous individual accolades and contributing significantly to championship titles. Bagunas played a pivotal role in the National University (NU) Bulldogs men's volleyball team's consecutive championships in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and has been a key member of the Philippines men's national volleyball team in international events, notably securing a silver medal at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. His professional club career includes stints with the Japanese club Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler, the Taiwanese club Win Streak, and Philippine teams such as the Cignal HD Spikers.
2. Early Life
Bryan Bagunas was born on October 10, 1997, in Batangas City, Batangas, Philippines. During his formative years, Bagunas initially had a greater interest in basketball rather than volleyball. He began seriously pursuing volleyball in his second year of high school. While attending school, he actively participated in both basketball and volleyball events during his school's intramurals. His burgeoning talent in volleyball was further honed through his participation in various municipal and national volleyball tournaments, which eventually led to him being scouted for the National University's collegiate team.
3. Career
Bryan Bagunas's volleyball career is characterized by significant contributions and achievements across collegiate, club, and national team levels, showcasing his versatile skills and dedication to the sport.
3.1. Collegiate Career
From 2014 to 2019, Bagunas was a cornerstone of the National University (NU) men's volleyball team competing in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). He was instrumental in guiding the NU Bulldogs to consecutive men's volleyball titles in UAAP Seasons 80 and 81. For both of these championship seasons, he was recognized as the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). Bagunas also received the Best Server award three times, consecutively from UAAP Season 79 to 81. In UAAP Season 81, he was additionally named the UAAP Attacker and the Season MVP.
Beyond the UAAP, Bagunas represented NU at the 2018 Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference, where he helped his team secure the title against the University of Santo Tomas. In this tournament, he earned recognition as the 1st Best Outside Spiker and the Finals MVP. Furthermore, Bagunas was part of the NU team that represented the Philippines at the 2018 ASEAN University Games held in Naypyidaw, Myanmar. The team achieved a gold medal in men's volleyball by defeating Thailand's representatives in the final match, marking a significant improvement over the Philippines' bronze medal finish in the 2016 edition of the games held in Singapore.
3.2. Club Career
Bagunas has forged a diverse club career, playing for teams in the Philippines, Japan, and Taiwan, and achieving notable success both domestically and internationally.
3.2.1. Early Philippine Club Stints
Early in his professional club journey, Bagunas played for Sta. Elena at the 2018 Premier Volleyball League Open Conference. During his tenure with Sta. Elena, he was recognized as the 2nd Best Outside Spiker and the Conference Most Valuable Player. He also played for the Go for Gold-Philippine Air Force Jet Spikers of the Spikers' Turf, contributing to the team's multiple championship titles in 2016.
3.2.2. Japanese Club Stint
In mid-2019, Bagunas made a significant move to international club volleyball, signing with the Japanese club, Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler of V.League 1, as an Asian foreign player. His debut match with the club was against the JT Thunders. Bagunas observed that training with the Japanese club placed a strong emphasis on technique, a notable contrast to Philippine-based teams which he described as focusing more on physicality, particularly in managing power for executing hits. He remained with Oita Miyoshi for three seasons before concluding his stint in June 2022.
3.2.3. Taiwanese and Recent Philippine Club Stints
Following his time in Japan, Bagunas joined the Taiwanese club Win Streak in August 2022. With Win Streak, he competed in the Datuk Bandar Cup Win+ Streak Invitational Championship in Malaysia and subsequently played in the Top Volleyball League in Taiwan. He led Win Streak to a championship title in the 2022-23 Top Volleyball League, where he was also honored as the league's Most Valuable Player.
In February 2023, Bagunas signed with the Imus City-AJAA Spikers in the Philippines, with plans to join their campaign in the 2023 Spikers' Turf Open Conference in March 2023 following the conclusion of his commitments with Win Streak. However, he ultimately did not play any games for Imus.
Bagunas later joined the Cignal HD Spikers of the Spikers' Turf in January 2024. His contract with Win Streak was extended for an additional five years, and he helped them secure their second Top Volleyball League title in April 2024. He rejoined Cignal in April 2024 for the 2024 Spikers' Turf Open Conference, although he had to briefly return to Taiwan to attend an All-Star game shortly thereafter. In August 2024, while playing with the national team at the 2024 SEA Men's V.League, Bagunas suffered an ACL injury, which rendered him unavailable for play with both Win Streak and Cignal for the remainder of the season.
3.3. National Team Career
Bryan Bagunas has consistently been a vital member of the Philippine men's national team, representing his country in various international competitions.
He participated in the Southeast Asian Games in both 2017 and 2019. In the 2017 Southeast Asian Games, the Philippine national team did not achieve a podium finish. For the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, preparations were challenging for Bagunas due to limited training time with the national team as he simultaneously had to fulfill his obligations with his Japanese club, Oita Miyoshi. Despite these hurdles, the national team achieved a historic feat by reaching the finals for the first time in 42 years. They ultimately secured a silver medal after being defeated by Indonesia in the final match. Bagunas also earned a bronze medal with the national team at the 2024 SEA Men's V.League.
4. Personal Life
Bryan Bagunas is married to Nicole Tracy Tan. The couple became engaged in April 2022 and were married on June 6, 2022. Due to his wedding, Bagunas had to miss his participation in the Southeast Asian Games that year.
5. Awards and Achievements
Throughout his career, Bryan Bagunas has garnered a significant collection of individual awards and contributed to numerous team championships, underscoring his impact in volleyball.
5.1. Individual Awards
- 2016 Spikers' Turf 2nd Reinforced Open Conference - Finals Most Valuable Player
- UAAP Season 79 - Best Server
- UAAP Season 80 - Finals Most Valuable Player
- 2018 Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference - Finals Most Valuable Player
- 2018 Premier Volleyball League 2nd Season Collegiate Conference - Finals Most Valuable Player
- 2018 Premier Volleyball League 2nd Season Collegiate Conference - 1st Best Outside Spiker
- 2018 Spikers' Turf Open Conference - Season's Most Valuable Player
- 2018 Spikers' Turf Open Conference - 2nd Best Outside Spiker
- UAAP Season 81 - Season's Most Valuable Player
- UAAP Season 81 - Finals Most Valuable Player
- UAAP Season 81 - 1st Best Outside Spiker
- UAAP Season 81 - Best Server
- 2022-23 Top Volleyball League - Best Outside Spiker
- 2022-23 Top Volleyball League - Most Valuable Player
- 2022-23 Top Volleyball League - Best Scorer
- 2023-24 Top Volleyball League - Most Valuable Player
- 2023-24 Top Volleyball League - Best Outside Hitter
- 2023-24 Top Volleyball League - Best Scorer
- 2023-24 Top Volleyball League - Best Server
- 2024 Spikers' Turf Open Conference - Finals Most Valuable Player
5.2. Club Championships
- UAAP Season 80 - Champion (with National University)
- UAAP Season 81 - Champion (with National University)
- 2018 Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference - Champion (with National University)
- 2018 ASEAN University Games - Gold Medal (with National University, representing Philippines)
- 2022-23 Top Volleyball League - Champion (with Win Streak)
- 2023-24 Top Volleyball League - Champion (with Win Streak)
- 2024 Spikers' Turf Open Conference - Champion (with Cignal)
6. Clubs Played For
Bryan Bagunas has been affiliated with the following clubs throughout his collegiate and professional career:
- NU Bulldogs (2014-2019)
- Go for Gold-Philippine Air Force Jet Spikers (2016-2019)
- Sta. Elena-NU (2018)
- Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler (2019-2022)
- Win Streak (2022-present)
- Cignal HD Spikers (2024-present)