Love At First Spike

Did you know that the Philippines gave birth to the volleyball spike? Indeed, the powerful smash down the court courtesy of a set was invented in our home country and was even called, the Philippine bomb. And what a bomb it was which transformed a simple volley game into an Olympic sport of incredible magnitude, reach, and following.

One would wonder how the country which was the birthplace of a crucial component of volleyball game play is languishing in the international standings. Like many projects in this country – whether it is in sports, culture, or even urban infrastructure – the selfish misdeeds of the few, along with rampant corruption, and never-ending politics has plagued the local volleyball program. Crab-mentality has similarly stunt the growth of volleyball. It seems the last time we made an impact on a global level was back in the 2003 SEA Games when we won the gold medal for the Women’s Indoor Volleyball.

But since then, the program has suffered under poor management, with the promise of so many talented local players going to waste. The good turned bad and eventually turned even worse. The program failed to adapt to the changing face of volleyball, which was no longer primarily a game relying on pure height. The success and dominance of the Cuban women’s volleyball team also meant the game required tremendous athleticism. The fast-paced play of Asian teams also influenced other squads. Soon enough, speed, power, court smarts, and intricate technical strategy combined with research-based training regimens saw teams playing faster, smarter, and in more complicated plays than ever.

Volleyball became both a science and an art form.

Twenty years later, Philippine volleyball – specifically women’s volleyball – is rising from the ashes. The sport found renewed popularity when Manila hosted a leg of the FIVB Grand Prix back in the turn of the millennium. Collegiate-level volleyball games, like the UAAP and NCAA, slowly attracted a greater following in a basketball-obsessed nation. Add to that, tournaments like the V-League, improved vastly the visibility of the sport. By the late 2000’s, volleyball was gaining headways, in spite of having lackluster international contingents for various competitions.

Fast-forward to 2013, and we finally have an International Team to represent us in a truly international competition – the Asian Volleyball Championship. If you’ve been an avid supporter of Philippine volleyball, you will understand the pains of forming a national team. Politics saw the creation and dissolution of several national teams. There were legal issues inside the volleyball commission. Many of the legendary players were now too old to join whatever team was being formed. A club-league was also created to finally provide the framework for a national volleyball squad. And finally, a team was sent to Thailand to compete against powerhouse Asian teams.

While the squad sent abroad may be missing a few equally talented players – most of whom were discouraged to join by their local clubs, teams, and even schools – seventeen women from a great mix of veterans, collegiate standouts, and promising young players made the cut, and were given the opportunity to compete on a global stage. It’s a daunting task which would finally allow us to evaluate our position on the international volleyball stage.

Three games done and still without a win, I believe that the team – proudly called the Power Pinays – has still done an exceptional job. Considering the fact we’ve been out of the international stage for years, the women’s squad were not a letdown. They fought against the more experienced teams, showed them that the Philippine squad was certainly not a team you could easily dispatch, and thus take lightly. Players like Tubon shined! As a team, they played the game with dignity, even against those with Olympic-tradition, like China. I feared the Chinese squad would dismantle the Power Pinay’s in embarrassing fashion. But no, there was a lot of heart in the court when the Pinay’s faced China, that even iconic player-turned-coach Lang Ping commended the brilliance which emerged from the game – Gata’s excellent reception, and Maizo’s cerebral offense. When everyone feared the scores would be incredibly lopsided, we managed to put up a decent fight to at least score in double digits. Just to see Maizo up against world-class players like Zhu Ting is surreal on its own.

Surely, this is a baptism of fire, and a wake-up call that the Philippines has to adapt with the faster volleyball game play, not only of our Asian counterparts but even of world champions like Brazil and the USA. Obviously, our genes were not designed to produce powerhouse six-footers like Thaisa, Hooker, or even Gamova. But what we can do is to focus on what we are good at, and put some speed into the volleyball deed. Teams like Japan and Thailand are comparable, sometimes even smaller in height, to our players, and yet they consistently win in competitions, even beating taller and physically stronger squads. What they lack in height, they more than make up with incredible reception, lightning-fast speed, and incredible dedication in their training. Local professional leagues also encourage players to see volleyball as a lucrative profession. Getting paid to do what you love – isn’t that the best thing in the world? These teams learn through experience, and respond to shifts in the game play. We simply need to do the same.

Luckily, we have so many people who continue to support the growth of the sport in the country. Partners, sponsors, corporations, individuals – we’ve seen how hard they’ve been working behind the scenes to encourage the growth of the game, and finally form a delegation that can compete in the world stage. If we can set aside politics, and focus on the game’s essentials – improving the training program, playing faster, and exposing the squad to more international competitions – we can truly compete with the best. We’ve seen so much promise and potential in the recent AVC games, and one could only imagine if only everyone – and I mean everyone – can unite for a single goal of bringing back volleyball glory to the Philippines. Talented young stars are already shining in the collegiate tournaments, and it would only be a matter of time when we tap them to represent the country.