Push Admin

Volleyball: Dante Alinsunurin remains coach of men's national team

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/sports/03/11/vball_dante-alinsunurin_1.jpg"/><figcaption>Dante Alinsunurin will still be the coach of the national men&#x27;s volleyball team. <em>File photo. ABS-CBN Sports</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA, Philippines -- Dante Alinsunurin will continue to call the shots for the Philippine men&#x27;s national volleyball team, after leading the squad to a historic silver medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.</p><p>The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) announced Thursday that Alinsunurin will still be the coach of the men&#x27;s squad, with Ariel dela Cruz and Sherwin Meneses as his assistants.</p><p>Alinsunurin&#x27;s primary goal will be to improve upon their silver medal finish in the 30th SEA Games at home, where a team bannered by Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo shocked perennial champions Thailand in the semifinals.</p><p>&quot;Everybody is affected by the pandemic, but we are hoping to maintain our finish in the last SEA Games,&quot; said Alinsunurin, also the head coach of powerhouse National University in the UAAP.</p><p>&quot;We have to work really, really hard if we want to win a gold medal,&quot; he added.</p><p>Meanwhile, Rhovyl Verayo and Paul John Doloiras were appointed as coaches of the men&#x27;s and women&#x27;s beach volleyball teams. </p><p>Both beach volleyball teams won bronze in the 2019 SEA Games, and the coaches are optimistic that they can improve upon that finish.</p><p>&quot;We&#x27;ll do everything to get a gold because our program is improving,&quot; said Verayo, who will be assisted on the bench by Jason Gabales and Reycarl Dimaculangan.</p><p>Doloiras, meanwhile, said they are looking beyond the bronze medal copped by the women&#x27;s team, bannered by the powerhouse pair of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons.</p><p>&quot;We are all affected by the pandemic so we’re focusing on the conditioning of the players,&quot; he said. &quot;We will do our best to improve slowly every game until the SEA Games.&quot;</p><p>Former University of Santo Tomas (UST) coach Odjie Mamon will coach the women&#x27;s volleyball team.</p><p>The National Team Commission headed by Tonyboy Liao and National Coaches Commission under Jerry Yee made the recommendation to the PNVF board on the composition of the national coaching staff.</p><p>&quot;Our appointed coaches will do whatever it takes to assemble the best ever team in the SEA Games with their vast coaching experience even during this situation,&quot; PNVF president Ramon &quot;Tats&quot; Suzara said. &quot;So we&#x27;re confident Philippine volleyball is in good hands.&quot;</p><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vmunptzAiIw?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Dante Alinsunurin will continue to call the shots for the Philippine men's national volleyball team, after leading the squad to a historic silver medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.<br /> </p>

Dante Alinsunurin will continue to call the shots for the Philippine men's national volleyball team, after leading the squad to a historic silver medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.