Until fairly recently, any other sport other than basketball was a minor sport in the Philippines. Filipinos, who harbor a deep-seated obsession with the game of hoops, cannot be budged to turn their attention away from either the PBA or NBA or the UAAP or the NCAA.
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This was the prevailing state of affairs until Alyssa Valdez of the Ateneo Lady Eagles volleyball team came into the picture.
By turns explosive and charismatic, Valdez had the country in grips as she led her collegiate team to victory after victory with her powerful moves on the court. No other volleyball player in recent memory can be pointed to as having put the sport of volleyball before the collective attention of Filipinos than her.
So it is no surprise that Valdez, who has long represented the Philippines in various international volleyball meets, is once again part of the women's volleyball team competing in Jakarta for the Asian Games 2018.
Higher stakes
Unlike other international sporting events, though, the Asian Games presents a different kind of pressure; in this event, where the best of Asia descend to Indonesia for volleyball glory, the stakes are infinitely higher.
Similar to the Philippine men's basketball team, the Philippine women's volleyball team was also hastily put together. Headlined by some of the local volleyball scene's most recognizable names, including Valdez, Jaja Santiago, and Aby Marano, among others, the team had a few weeks to prepare, culminating in a two-week training camp in Japan designed to make them at par with some of the world's best.
But as it turned out, a two-week training camp just won't cut it for the team.
Far from being despondent, however, most of the Filipino audiences regard the two losses as necessary setbacks crucial in helping the national team improve down the line. No one expected the Valdez-led squad to win against either of Thailand or Japan anyway, considering that it is the first time in more than two decades that the Philippines is fielding a volleyball team in the Asian Games.
In fact, even the coaching staff of the National Women's Volleyball squad look at the teams' matches against Thailand and Japan as learning opportunities intended to give the Filipino players actual experience playing against top-calibre teams.
Defeatist attitude?
A number of viewers in the Philippines did not exactly approve of what they thought was the team's "defeatist" attitude in the continental sports event. Despite members of the squad asserting on social media that they trust the process and that there's no shortcut to glory, all in a bid to assuage local fans' seeming dissatisfaction with their performance, criticisms of the squad's dismal showing in its first two matches continue to mount.
But even for those with a modicum of awareness of the level of competition abroad, the Philippine team cannot be faulted for their straight set losses. After all, the teams they are up against are better-funded, have better facilities, have been playing for years as an integrated unit, and have significant experience playing against top-tier teams all over the world. They're no teams to be messed with, and certainly cannot be beaten by a team merely winging its way through.
The Philippines has two matches left in the group stage against Hong Kong and host Indonesia. While not as threatening as Thailand and Japan, these two teams cannot be merely glossed over either. The plan is for the Philippine squad to beat either or both of their remaining matches in the hopes of proceeding to the next stage.
When all of this is done and over with, there is no doubt the Philippine Women's Volleyball team, along with its staff and officials, will look back at this event and integrate its learnings in building a team that shall be a source of pride for any sport-loving Filipino.
For now, that prospect looks promising.