“Farewell, my paradise.”
It’s a line said by Satori Tendo, a character in the ever-popular sports manga and anime Haikyu!!
An eccentric middle blocker nicknamed “Guess Monster,” Tendo uttered his memorable line when his mighty Shiratorizawa Academy got upset by the Karasuno High School in the prefectural Finals.
The quote is open for interpretation, but it’s fair to say Tendo referred to it as “paradise” as his high school team became his sanctuary, a place where he found brotherhood, belongingness, and the platform to play the sport his way.
For those in the know, and apologies for the spoiler, Tendo decided to quit volleyball afterwards, making his sure his powerful farewell stood.
“PARADISE”
Now how does that relate to actual, real-life volleyball? Say for a team like Alas Pilipinas?
By dropping a heart-breaking five-set loss to Iran in the FIVB Men’s World Championship, the Philippines bid farewell to a volleyball paradise that materialized over the past couple of days.
What was once originally seen as just for experience quickly evolved into something historic, when Alas swiped a set victory from Egypt.
That one set later became one win. Against Iran, it turned to six match points with a Round of 16 berth on the line.
“Paradise” became an actual winning moment, however fleeting. But as devastating the turn of event were, Alas Pilipinas now know what it is like.
How to truly get there is now the question.
An MVP spiker for UST in the UAAP, Josh Ybañez transitioned to a steady libero for Alas Pilipinas, highlighting the program's affinity for growth. He is 22 years old.
SEARCHING FOR "PARADISE"
For a realistic take, it will be quite difficult for this version of Alas Pilipinas to make it back to the world championship by normal means. The Philippines do not magically turn into a powerhouse because they won one game and almost won another.
Still, these Alas Men gave a glimpse of paradise to a growing men’s volleyball movement in the Philippines, a level of play that was pure pipe dream as recently as last week.
Volleyball is arguably the fastest growing mainstream sport in the Philippines for years now, but the men’s players often get overlooked, a reality that is painfully obvious.
But as Alas Pilipinas beat the reigning African champions and made the three-time reigning Asian Games champions sweat, one thing is now for certain: these guys are for real.
Actually, this program is for real.
Head coach Angiolino Frigoni built quite the system in his short time handling Alas Pilipinas, and supporters can now only hope this breakthrough FIVB performance will be an avenue to nurture it further.
None of the starting group of Bryan Bagunas, Marck Espejo, Leo Ordiales, Owa Retamar, Josh Ybañez, Kim Malabunga, and Peng Taguibolos are over 30 years old, giving the Philippines its best chance to climb the ranks from a meager standing of world no. 77.
Despite a shaky start, Leo Ordiales was a revelation for Alas Pilipinas in the FIVB Worlds. He is also 22 years old.
Volleyball is unique among the most popular team sports as it is a team sport in every sense of the term. No one man can influence the outcome of any game by his lonesome.
As it is, this Alas Pilipinas program has to work. A return to whatever definition of paradise lies in making sure the Alas team moves forward, for real this time.
A similar, pivotal moment for Philippine men’s volleyball came by winning a silver medal in the 2019 SEA Games, which was then followed consecutive 5th place finishes.
A true measure of progress for this Alas Men program, fittingly, comes in the next SEA Games in a few months time.
32 of the strongest volleyball teams gather for the World Championship. At the moment, despite an exciting week for the national team, Alas Pilipinas are not one of the 32.
For this case, “paradise” is not merely just wins and losses. As anime clichè as it sounds, “paradise” is the process of making sure this growth is sustainable.
By climbing the ranks through their sub-region, maybe Alas Pilipinas can finally not just settle for a made up term like "golden silver," but actually win SEA Games gold medal.
By facing enduring heartbreak against Iran in the FIVB World Championship, maybe Alas Pilipinas can even the score in the Asian Games.
The pathway back to the FIVB World Championship? Why not target a a VNL qualification in between.
By saying farewell to this “paradise,” Alas Pilipinas Men can now go say hello to the next one.
Let the search for true "paradise" start now.
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Paul Lintag is the online editor-in-chief of One Sports.
His previous stops include The Varsitarian at UST and ABS-CBN Sports, where he mainly covered the PBA, UAAP, and Gilas Pilipinas.