Having returned to his Philippine roots to play volleyball, Steven Rotter has the chance to create history with Alas Pilipinas at the FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship.
Filipino-American spiker Steven Rotter came to the Philippines a few years back as he sought the next steps of his volleyball career.
Now, with the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship coming soon, Rotter has the chance to take his journey to next level as he vies for a spot in coach Angiolino Frigoni’s Alas Pilipinas roster in the country’s debut at Worlds.
Though already based in Manila, the World Championship present a unique opportunity for Rotter.
On a stage that’s bigger than ever, the Cignal HD Spiker said that he is looking forward to showing out for the Filipino fans and prove Alas' mettle against tougher teams.
“Yeah, [I] never thought I'd be representing the Philippines once again, but here I am. I'm very excited to play in front of a Philippine crowd once again, except on a bigger stage. Instead of just SEA V.League, SEA Games, we're playing against world-class teams,” Rotter told One Sports.
“I’m very excited to show what our team can do, what I can do, and just what Philippine volleyball is all about,” he added.
Being the lowest-ranked among the teams competing in the World Championship, Rotter said that Alas Pilipinas have a realistic mindset heading into the international joust.
But more than the results, Rotter said that the team is looking forward to long-term planning and experience that will help them grow.
“Honestly, there's no expectations. The teams we are playing are very, like, two teams that have made the Olympics, one of them is just top 20, top 30 teams, so we're just super grateful to even be in this position and hopefully get more experience,” he said.
“Because we're preparing for the SEA Games, so just getting this experience on our belt is just more than we could ask for.”
Rotter and Alas Pilipinas open their campaign at the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on September 12 against Tunisia at the Mall of Asia Arena, where it will be followed by an electrifying opening ceremonies featuring K-Pop group BOYNEXTDOOR and local talent Karencitta.
Fans can catch the action live with tickets still available through the tournament’s official website.