Dante Alinsunurin might just be the busiest man over the past week after coaching in three consecutive finals games in the Premier Volleyball League Second All-Filipino Conference and the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference.
Alinsunurin started Thursday, coaching Choco Mucho in Game 1 before steering National U-Sta. Elena to the Spikers’ Turf title on Friday. Unfortunately, the UAAP champion coach failed to replicate that success as the Flying Titans lost to Creamline to bow out of the PVL title series on Saturday.
Despite splitting his two finals assignments, Alinsunurin said that he’s very grateful to be in such a unique and prestigious position of coaching two volleyball squads in the finals of their respective divisions.
“Sobrang pasasalamat talaga sa nangyari kasi sa sitwasyon na ‘to, pinipilit talaga namin na makuha yung championship,” said Alinsunurin after Choco Mucho’s Game 2 loss to Creamline at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Kahit anong pagod at hirap, pag naman nakuha mo na yun at mayroong, magiging, kung ano man yung resulta, is magiging masarap sa pakiramdam namin. Pero sabi ko nga, nagsisimula pa lang kami sana magtuloy-tuloy lang yung ginagawa namin sa Choco Mucho,” he added.
Alinsunurin also said that while the Flying Titans failed to make it past Creamline in their first-ever finals appearance, he is still very happy with what he saw from the team throughout the series.
“Sobrang happy ako sa naging performance namin ngayon sa laro, in terms of skill, kung ano yung dapat gameplan namin talaga, nagawa namin eh, pero talagang ang hirap kalaban talaga ng Creamline,” said the former national team head coach.
“Anytime na naga-adjust kami, naga adjust rin sila kaya sobrang hirap talaga nitong series na to. Pero sobrang happy na rin ako sa achievement na to kasi galing kami sa seventh place ngayon nasa ibabaw na,” added Alinsunurin, as Choco Mucho finally broke its string of four consecutive seventh-place finishes.
Alinsunurin said that the team will use their performance in the season-ending conference as motivation to improve even more for the 2024 PVL season.
“Ang importante lang na sinasabi ko sa kanila, every conference kailangan naming mag-improve.”
