If there was ever a moment that confirmed the rise of Philippine men’s volleyball, it happened on a Saturday afternoon at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
In a scene once unimaginable for the sport, 14,517 fans — a new UAAP Men’s Volleyball record — filled the stands to witness Game 3 of the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Finals between National University and Far Eastern University.
Game by game, the Finals series showed just how far the sport has come.
Game 1 drew 5,405 fans.
Game 2 saw 9,997 in attendance.
Averaging 9,966 over the series, the three-game clash not only crowned a champion but also made history — becoming the most well-attended UAAP men’s volleyball series to date.
Alinsunurin’s Long-Awaited Moment
Long before the record-setting crowd gathered in Pasay, men’s volleyball was poised to become the next big sport in the Philippines.
The catalyst?
A historic silver medal run by the Philippine men’s national volleyball team in the 30th Southeast Asian Games held in 2019 — in Pasig — where the home team stunned regional giants and brought unprecedented attention to the sport.
That team was coached by none other than NU tactician Dante Alinsunurin. And it was supposed to be the beginning of something big.
But just as momentum was building, the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020.
All progress came to a screeching halt. Tournaments were canceled, players were sidelined, and the sport’s national visibility plummeted.
The push to make men’s volleyball a mainstream spectacle was suddenly derailed.
Now, five years later, that lost momentum seems to be roaring back — with a vengeance.
For Alinsunurin, who guided the Bulldogs to a historic ‘five-peat’ and claimed his seventh UAAP title overall, the Finals were more than just a championship series.
It was a full-circle moment, and the long-awaited recognition brought him to tears.
“Sobrang, naggigilid ang luha sa nakita ko kanina. Bakit ngayon lang nangyari?
“Past 2019 pa na nagsimula na tayo na men’s ay umaangat na. Nagkaproblema lang ng pandemic. Ngayon nakita ko na,” said Alinsunurin, who also serves as head coach of PVL crowd darling Choco Mucho.
This record-setting attendance wasn’t just a win for NU; it was a collective victory for the entire men’s volleyball community.
For Alinsunurin, it was also a long-overdue validation — years of toil, growth, and passion finally being recognized in full force.
“Sana magtuluy-tuloy, di lang sa NU community, pati sa FEU community na ginawang suporta sa amin.
“Sana hindi lang ngayon, sana sa mga susunod pang liga ng men’s, sana lagi silang andiyan, kasi napakaimportante sa mga players and coaches na maging ganito yung sitwasyon, kasi mas pagbubutihan pa namin yung paglaro namin, yung level ng pagko-coach namin para ma-appreciate naman yung men’s dito sa Pinas,” the former national team head coach added.
As the Philippines gears up to host the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship for the first time ever, Alinsunurin believes this surge of support couldn’t have come at a better time.
The worlds will take place from September 12 to 28 this year, with matches to be held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay and the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Cubao — further elevating the country’s profile in the sport.
“Yun nga every year parang pinagpipilitan natin yung men’s na ma-survive natin kung ano yung kailangan para yung audience, mapansin kami. Kaya nga sobrang naging emosyonal ako, kasi nga matagal na namin kasi hinahanap itong sitwasyon na hindi lang naman siyempre para sa NU, kundi para sa FEU rin na sumuporta sa amin,” said Alinsunurin, who also serves as an assistant coach under Angiolino Frigoni for the Alas Pilipinas Men’s team.
“Sobrang thankful ako na sana mag-continue lang talaga yung pagpapahalaga nila sa men’s division.”
United by Passion
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
FEU head coach Eddieson Orcullo and opposite hitter Dryx Saavedra, who helped the Tamaraws earn their best finish since Season 81 in 2019, echoed Alinsunurin’s sentiments.
For them, the Finals weren’t just a competition — it was a celebration of what men’s volleyball in the Philippines could be.
“Maraming salamat kasi nakikita tayo ngayon sa men’s [volleyball] na laruan. Napakalaki na bagay kasi na nakikita yung ganyang level ng competition kaya sana huwag kayo magsawa supportahan ang men’s volleyball,” Orcullo said.
“Sa ‘kin, sobra, ano talaga, parang alam ko na na next season, ready na ako agad sa ganitong situation ng game na Finals, ganito pala talaga, sobrang iba sa elimination, so talagang makakatulong talaga ‘to sa ‘kin na i-ready ko ‘yung sarili ko ‘pag dadating ulit sa point na lalaban ulit kami ng Finals,” added Saavedra.
NU captain and Alas Pilipinas pool member Michaelo Buddin, a central figure in the Bulldogs’ dominance, believes the sport is on the cusp of something special — especially with growing interest from fans and the semi-professional circuit’s continued development, as seen in rivalries like Cignal vs. Criss Cross in the Spikers’ Turf.
“Masaya kasi first of all, ito talaga yung pinaka pangarap ni Coach Dante na mas mapaangat yung men’s volleyball. Nakita namin na unti-unti nang naggo-grow yung followers, supporters,” Buddin shared.
“Sana suportahan niyo pa yung men’s volleyball, hindi lang yung NU, FEU kundi lahat ng men’s volleyball sa Pilipinas.”
As the curtain closed on a thrilling Season 87 Finals, one thing was clear: this wasn’t just about a championship.
It was also about the future.
