National University seniors Owa Retamar and Nico Almendras are leaving their fate in the hands of head coach Dante Alinsunurin following their perfect championship run in the UAAP Season 85 men’s volleyball tournament on Sunday.
Retamar and Almendras both started their collegiate careers back in the scrapped Season 82. They are on course to finish their schooling but are still eligible to play in Season 86.
“Depende kay coach kasi kami, naghihintay lang din kami. Alam namin yung desisyon ni coach para rin sa future namin, ‘di niya naman kami papatapusin ng UAAP na gusto niya lang. Siyempre alam namin yung desisyon ni coach Dante para din sa buhay namin. Hindi lang panay volleyball,” said the recently-crowned Best Setter and Finals MVP.
“Ayun nga, siyempre, depende rin kami kay coach sa desisyon niya. Siyempre para din naman sa buhay namin yun e pagtapos namin dito sa UAAP,” echoed Almendras.
Alinsunurin admitted that teams have already inquired about the services of Almendras and Retamar, but they have yet to make a decision about it.
“May mga nag-inquire na, pero siyempre naghihintay lang kami ng resulta or desisyon nila kung makukuha sila,” revealed Alinsunurin.
The former national team head coach said that he is looking out for both players’ futures. This is why he will set up a meeting with Almendras and Retamar to plot the next step in their respective careers.
Alinsunurin revealed that he wants the players to explore their options outside of the Philippines first before deciding to return for another stint with the Bulldogs in Season 86.
“Graduate na sa aral pero sa laro marami pa. Like itong dalawa, si Owa at Nico kung tutuusin two years pa lang sila sa UAAP. Pangalawa pa lang nila. Sa akin naman, nagdedepende [ako] sa magiging career nila after ng UAAP,” said Alinsunurin.
“Kung merong international teams na mag-inquire sa akin, why not? Pero kung dito lang sa Pilipinas, siguro yung usapan namin medyo mahaba-haba pa para palaruin ko sila.”
Retamar and Almendras played a pivotal role in the team’s 16-0 sweep this season. The former nabbed the Best Setter and Finals MVP awards, while the latter was supposed to take home the Best Outside Spiker award.
However, a one-set suspension on March 12 disqualified him from winning an individual award.
In their title-clinching Game 2 win against UST at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, Retamar tossed 17 excellent sets laced with two points. Meanwhile, Almendras poured in 14 points on 12 attacks and two kill blocks to help the Bulldogs clinch their third consecutive UAAP title.
“Syempre graduate na sila parehas, ayoko naman na ma-stuck lang sila sa school. Ang importante yung magiging buhay din nila paghandaan nila,” said the architect of the Bulldogs dynasty.
