NU head coach Dante Alinsunurin couldn’t help but get emotional as his team clinched a 5-peat championship in UAAP Season 87 in front of a record crowd of 14,517 in Game 3 vs. FEU.
Dante Alinsunurin has been around Philippine men's volleyball for many years, and as he saw his NU Bulldogs clinch a historic UAAP five-peat at the Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday, it was a sight to be hold especially in front of a record crowd.
After years of winning championships in sparingly-filled venues, Alinsunurin saw the biggest crowd ever in a UAAP men’s volleyball game in the winner-take-all Game 3 against FEU at the Pasay arena.
For Alinsunurin, it was a poetic ending for all the hard work that he and the Bulldogs poured into their love for men’s volleyball.
“Sobrang thankful lang sa naging sitwasyon [ngayon] kasi pinaghirapan talaga mula simula, nung umpisa na mahirap mag-recruit kasi di kilala yung team hanggang sa [ngayon],” Alinsunurin said as he tried to fight away tears.
“Parang nangyari lang, nung umpisa, di kami pinapansin... Yung mga bagay na pinagtatrabahuan namin ay nagbunga.”
Since the beginning of their three-game series against the FEU Tamaraws, fans have been flocking to the venue, beginning with more than 5,000 in attendance at the Big Dome in Game 1.
Then during Game 2 last Wednesday, 9,977 fans caught the action in person, which at the time was already a new UAAP record.
In the clincher, more supporters flocked to support both teams, setting a new record with 14,517 fans in attendance.
After seeing the initial rise of men’s volleyball back in 2019 thanks to the national team's success in the SEA Games, Alinsunurin was happy to see the fruits of their labor years later even as the pandemic skewed the growth due to inactivity.
But now, with the action at full speed ahead, Alinsunurin hopes that things continue to grow for the Bulldogs and men's volleyball in general.
“Malaking bagay to kasi nga ito yung laging pinaghuhugutan lagi ng men's team. Every time na merong championship matches, doon lang talaga dumadami yung tao. Kaya sana magtuluy-tuloy lang. Yung mga players namin na mag-continue lang na maging motivated sa nakikita nila na yung men's ay umaangat na para yung level din namin ay tumaas,” he said.
“Sana mag-continue lang lagi, kung sino man yung magustuhan namin, o yung ilagay namin sa NU ay mag-continue pa. Sabi ko nga, di lang naman ang gusto namin ay maging champion. Gusto rin namin yung mga player namin ay lumevel sa Pilipinas hanggang sa ibang bansa para mas gumanda yung programa, di lang sa NU kundi sa Pilipinas.”