Jude Amper thought volleyball had quietly slipped out of his life the moment he left Bohol to care for his ailing mother and start over in Sydney, Australia.
“I completely gave up sa opportunity na makalaro sa ganitong high-level,” said Amper, who had once been a rising talent during his 2016 stint with Southwestern University in CESAFI.
“After six months, isang season, ‘yung mama ko nagkasakit then I really had to alagaan siya, I really had to take care of her straight away. I had to pause everything,” he added, recalling when his mother suffered a hernia infection in the midst of the Cobras’ finals series against the University of San Jose–Recoletos.
In Australia, volleyball existed only in small pockets — weekend runs, pay-to-play leagues, and a club he built himself just to stay connected to the sport he never stopped loving. That made it nearly impossible to play competitively or pursue the career he had once dreamed of.
From that moment, he slowly let go of any hope of returning to top-level volleyball.
“Pagdating ko sa Australia, parang na-culture shock ako kasi love ko talaga ‘yung volleyball eh. So from everyday training, seven hours a day, to nothing, to two hours a week, to nothing,” Amper shared.
“Parang nabo-bored din ako minsan dun. So I still tried my best magpakundisyon, tried to form a team so I made a club my own, it’s called Momentum Volleyball Club. Hanggang sa nagiging mentor at coach lang ako dun kasi wala akong masyadong kilala na kasing galing ng mga taga-Pilipinas. Merong mga malalakas, pero ibang level na sila,” he continued.
“Hanggang dun lang, tapos kapag gusto kong maglaro competitively dun, you really have to pay. Walang libre, walang sponsorship so talagang if you wanna play, you have to pay. Parang napo-pause talaga ‘yung opportunity at repetitive practice ‘pag dun ka sa Australia.”
Just when it seemed his competitive volleyball days were over, an unexpected opportunity arrived.
Australian club ProVolley Academy was invited to join the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference. Amper — initially with another club — received an invitation to join the team, offering him a chance to return to the high-level play he had long thought was out of reach.
(C) Spikers Turf Images
“So may opportunity na ‘yung ProVolley mag-represent sa Australia papuntang Spikers’ Turf, Aaron contacted me to join initially,” said Amper, referring to ProVolley Academy staff member Aaron Quizon.
“Alam ko na eh, ‘yung mga idol ko na mga UAAP players, NCAA, ‘yung mga kasamahan ko dati sa Visayas, nandito rin naglalaro. Parang may pressure sa’kin, pero sabi ko kung hindi ko ‘to papalagan, walang mangyayari,”
For someone who had once completely given up on competitive volleyball, the invitation was a welcome second chance — an unexpected lifeline back to the sport he thought he had lost forever. Suddenly, Amper found himself sharing the court with players he had only ever watched on television.
“It feels so good kasi ‘yun nga, sinasabi ko kanina sa TV ko lang sila nakikita,” he said.
“Syempre number one, Bryan Bagunas. Talagang siya ‘yung number one saka si Marck Espejo, especially nung sa peak niya nung nag-champion sila. And then Jude Garcia, sila Josh Ybañez, sila ‘yung mga nasa TV ko lang nakikita,” Amper shared.
“Ngayon ‘di ko nakikita kasi nga may training daw sila, pero some RP players nandito rin sila like Joshua Umandal, ‘yung mga taga-UST, sila [Dux] Yambao, sila [Norwel] Sanama, talagang happy ako,”
Knowing this might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance, Amper made sure to take in every moment. He soaked up the atmosphere, asked for pictures with fellow players, and savored every set on the court, fully aware that ProVolley Academy was already out of contention and that opportunities like this might not come again.
“Nagpi-picture talaga ako ‘pag may opportunity kasi who knows, baka hindi na ako makabalik dito next year. Parang sagarin ko na,” said Amper.
“Biglaang may opportunity na binigay si God kahit late na, kasi 29 years old na ako. Parang achievement na rin, na kung sabihin once in a lifetime opportunity na hindi mababayaran ng kahit anong pera. Sobra sobra ‘yung saya ko at pasasalamat sa Diyos.”
Even after years away from home and a career put on hold, his love for the game never faded, kept alive in weekend runs and makeshift clubs. Now, that same love had brought him back to the court he once thought he’d never see again — closer than ever to the dream he never imagined he could reach.
