The Philippine men's volleyball team exceeded expectations when it clinched the country's first silver medal in the Southeast Asian Games in over four decades.
Heading into the biennial meet, the modest goal was to end a 28-year podium drought by securing the bronze. So when the team surprisingly barged into the finals at the expense of the five-peat seeking powerhouse Thailand, emotions ran high and the players and coaches celebrated as if they already won the championship.
"We didn't expect that we'll reach where we are right now because looking back, we went through a lot of difficulties just to get here," team captain John Vic de Guzman said in Filipino. "We sacrificed so much. We lost sleep, we got tired, we couldn't be with our families because of our dedication to volleyball."
Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas were the most lethal weapons that powered the team's offense, but the country's top spikers consistently credited the whole squad for helping them do their jobs well.
"We won't be able to do it without our teammates who always support the two of us. If we need to score, they tell us that they would bring the ball to us," said Bagunas.
"The ball usually goes to us but all of us here are talented. That's why we made it to the national team," added Espejo. "We get noticed because we score most of the points but volleyball is a team sport and we get proper guidance from our teammates and coaches."
Ranran Abdilla stepped up when needed as Kim Malabunga, Rex Intal, and Francis Saura conspired to deliver from the middle. Young playmaker Joshua Retamar debuted with a splash, while Jack Kalingking and Joshua Marcos anchored the defense.
De Guzman, who competed in his third SEA Games, provided the leadership on and off the court, alongside veteran setter Jessie Lopez. Ish Polvorosa, Joshua Umandal, and Mark Alfafara were always ready to contribute despite seeing limited minutes.
"In the national team, it's hard to select players for each position. In 2015 and 2017, we lacked some players, but this 2019, whoever you put inside the court, you know they would deliver," said De Guzman. "Like what I said in past interviews, we have bullets to fire and our opponents will get hurt when we play. And they really got hurt because we got the silver medal."
Ever since they started training last March, the national players worked hard and never lost their focus on their collective mission. For them, it's more than just earning a medal. It's representing the Philippines well while raising awareness toward the men's side of volleyball.
Volleyball has gained popularity in the Philippines in the past decade but the attention was mostly concentrated on the women athletes. The team knew that they could take advantage of the country's hosting of the regional tournament to show Filipinos that the men's competition is also worth watching.
"Ever since, we've been saying that hopefully more people will watch us so that they'll know about us," said Philippine head coach Dante Alinsunurin, a former national player himself. "We're thankful to everyone who supported us. ... Hopefully, the Philippine men's team will continue to be recognized so others can see that the level of play of men's volleyball is also increasing."
Tickets at the PhilSports Arena got sold out as the audience steadily grew and breached the 6,000 mark thrice, reaching its peak during the historic match that saw the Philippines score a stunning upset of Thailand in the semis. The team hopes that this will be the start of something bigger and brighter for men's volleyball.
"Now that the SEA Games is over, everybody will go back to their own universities, work, and club teams," said Espejo." Hopefully, the support for men's volleyball will continue in the upcoming UAAP, NCAA, and Spiker's Turf."
With this extraordinary feat, the Philippine men's volleyball team proved that great things can happen in just eight months. Imagine how much more they can achieve if they stay together and gain more international exposure in the coming years.
"It's really sweet because even though we didn't get the gold medal, God still gave us something bigger than what we expected," said De Guzman. "It's a better feeling to see people supporting us, all the Filipinos who watched us. That's been our plan from the very start -- to elevate men's volleyball."
"I'm going to sleep wearing this medal," said Espejo. "We're very happy with this silver. For us, this is gold."