Tag: team

Team USA’s Fil-Am manager relishes PH return at VNL

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USA men’s volleyball team manager David Dantes.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Team USA’s first time playing in Manila for the Volleyball Nations League was also a homecoming for the squad’s Filipino-American team manager David Dantes.

Dantes relished his return to the Philippines after 10 years.

“It’s really great to be back. I think the guys (players ) right now are having a wonderful experience. I think that’s been the best part. [For] most of our team, it’s their first time here and we love it. They love the fans, they love the passion, couldn’t be happier,” said Dantes, whose parents are from Quezon City. 

READ: VNL 2024: Experience makes USA’s Manila stint a ‘great success’

Like his players, Micah Christenson, Erik Shoji, Taylor Averill, and others, Dantes, who was born and raised in California and currently living in Georgia, was also in awe of the love Team USA received from the Filipino fans in their first VNL experience in Manila.

“It’s awesome. We want the sport to be popular everywhere. We want the fans to be as passionate as Filipino fans. So this means the world to us, and especially to our guys,” he said.

Dantes, who was also a coach and director for the University of Georgia, admitted he hasn’t watched Philippine volleyball games but after experiencing the massive Filipino crowd and his former player, Erica Staunton signing with Creamline as an import, he’s looking forward to catching PVL matches back home.

“I will now. Because one of my athletes in Georgia just started for Creamline last week. I will be watching it now because she’ll play,” said the Team USA’s technical support team and men’s sitting team Independent Contract Performance Analyst

“It’s really cool to see where I’m from, where my parents are from love it as passionately [as me]. Obviously, almost makes me want to come back and see the sport grow even more. It’s so cool to see the Philippines growing in the professional sport really quickly, which is great,” he added.

READ: VNL2024: USA star Taylor Averill wants to come back, explore PH

Dantes shares that grassroots development is key to taking Philippine volleyball to greater heights.

“I think it all starts at the grassroots level. Just provide as many opportunities as you can and let the kids, let the youth play as much as they can,” he said.

American libero Shoji shared the same sentiment as Dantes.

“I think it’s growing. Look at this crowd. So, we need more boys and girls playing volleyball and the more people the play, the better you’re gonna get. so, you know, we need more boys and girls playing volleyball in Manila, around the Philippines,” Shoji said. “That’s my hope for the country and little by little, step by step, they’ll get better.”



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USA, which finished with a 5-7 record, may have missed the VNL Final Eight after losing to Japan for the first time on Sunday night at Mall of Asia Arena, but the experience playing before an electric crowd still made the Americans’ stint a memorable one as they head home and gear up for the Paris Olympics.

Cheng, the man behind the scenes for Filipinas, leaves PH national team

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Jeff Cheng (first, front row) takes a selfie with the young Filipinas during happier times. —PHOTO FROM PHILIPPINE WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM/FACEBOOK

The future of the Philippine women’s football team, almost a year removed from a historic debut in the Fifa (International Federation of Football Associations) Women’s World Cup, was put under a cloud of uncertainty following the decision of Jefferson Cheng to relinquish his management role.

Cheng, who has been team manager even when countless achievements were still a dream, made his announcement on Sunday, a decision stemming on the direction of the country’s most successful national football squad.

“For several months, we tried our best to make things work, under new and very different circumstances,” Cheng said in a statement relayed to football beat writers. “Unfortunately, the situation is not workable.”

Cheng did not mention any individual or group with a contrasting vision, but stopped short of mentioning the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) or any of its top brass.

The federation is eight months removed from installing John Gutierrez as successor to long-time president Nonong Araneta.

“Our priorities and goals do not align, and the PWNT (women’s team) organization that we worked hard to develop in the past years is incompatible with current methods,” said Cheng.

Cheng informed his decision to director of national teams Freddy Gonzalez, who admitted that the eventual successor will have big shoes to fill.

Unimaginable heights

Gonzalez, and the PFF, which came out with a separate statement thanking Cheng’s contributions, did not address Cheng’s sentiments.

“It’s a huge challenge, but I have every intention to make sure we keep the program of the women’s national team progressing in the right direction. We must continue building on Jeff’s great work,” said Gonzalez.

Under Cheng, the women’s team reached unimaginable heights, appearing in two Women’s Asian Cups in 2018 and 2022. It was also in 2022 when the team claimed a bronze medal in the pandemic-delayed Southeast Asian Games and the Asean Football Federation Women’s Championship.

The 2022 Asian Cup in India also saw the Filipinas secure a historic berth to the 2023 World Cup following a dramatic quarterfinal victory over Chinese-Taipei via penalty shootout.

At the World Cup in New Zealand, the Filipinas gave themselves a fighting chance as debutants, and produced a stunning win over the cohosts in Wellington on Sarina Bolden’s first-half header.

Alen Stajcic handled the Filipinas during that World Cup stint while fellow Aussie Mark Torcaso has been at the helm since that campaign, steering them to a quarterfinals berth at the Hangzhou Asian Games.



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The youth team was eventually integrated into the program under Cheng, with the U-17s reaching their age-group version of the Asian Cup for the first time a few months ago. INQ

Dutch star scorer proud of team despite missing Olympics

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Netherlands’ Nimir Abdel Aziz in the VNL 2024.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Nimir Abdel-Aziz’s greatest scoring nights went for naught after the Netherlands ended up winless in Manila to cap its Volleyball Nations League (VNL) season.

Abdel-Aziz scored another 37-point explosion highlighted by six aces but the Netherlands fell to Canada in five sets,  21-25, 25-22, 28-26, 14-25, 15-9, on Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.

The Dutch star emerged as the league’s top scorer with a total of 284 points built on 235 spikes, 40 aces, and nine blocks. He was the only VNL player to score 30-plus points in five matches. 

But he’s not thinking about his scoring tear as all he wanted was to give his best for his team. 

“I just try to do my best like all the teams. We wanted to fight, we wanted to give our best. And I really don’t care about the individual points because I am just proud of the team and how we stood on the court,” said Abdel-Aziz, who averaged 29.8 points in four games in Manila.

The Netherlands lost all four games in Manila, missing the Final Eight with a 3-9 record to end the VNL season. But Abdel-Aziz remained proud of his teammates.

“I think we had a good fight, we gave everything. It was not enough but I am proud of the team [despite] not qualifying for the Olympics and everything. We continued to fight so we did great,” he said. “It’s our third year in a row. Every year, [we’re] improving. This year was great, so I think it’s only gonna get better.”

The 32-year-old Abdel-Aziz admitted that some of the Dutch players are retiring after the VNL, passing the torch to the young guns.

“We will see what’s gonna happen in the next year because I think some of us won’t be there anymore. So, it’s also time for some young generation guys. So we’ll see how they will develop and how they can continue to reach a higher level,” he said.

Despite the winless Manila stint, the scoring machine expressed his gratitude to Filipino fans for supporting them.

“The thing for us volleyball players, it’s one of the best places to play because the fans are here, they are supporting everybody. So, it’s not just the home crowds like in other venues,” Abdel-Aziz said. “Here, we feel support from everybody, every game, doesn’t matter who we play. Maybe a little less against Japan but for the rest, we feel a lot [of support], so it feels great to play here.”



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Team USA has ‘fun’ interaction with ‘friendly’ Alas Pilipinas

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Members of Alas Pilipinas and Team USA.–Photo from Alas Pilipinas volley Instagram

MANILA, Philippines — The stars of Team USA were thrilled to interact with the members of the Alas Pilipinas men’s and women’s squads on Friday evening at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati.

Alas players Bryan Bagunas and his teammates had a chance to meet USA’s TJ Defalco and Matt Anderson and even libero Erik Shoji, who watched Bagunas’ heroics in the Philippines’ historic silver medal run in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. 

Shoji posted a series of YouTube vlogs in 2020, reacting to the Philippine men’s volleyball team’s matches in the SEA Games including its five-set thriller against Thailand in the semifinal.

READ: VNL 2024: USA star Taylor Averill wants to come back, explore PH

“It was really fun. I’ve watched Bryan Bagunas before on YouTube and the team in the SEA Games 2019. It was fun to watch those players. I know they’re so popular here and it was nice to meet him [Bryan]. I’ve seen him play, so, I know how good he is for sure,” said the USA libero of Bagunas, who is now playing in Chinese Taipei.

Besides Bagunas, Shoji was pleased to meet the other members of the squad, taking photos and sharing volleyball tips.

“We met them for maybe five minutes before, then we had the interview and then we talked for five to 10 minutes after. They were fun, you know, I love the Filipino people, the energy they have, it’s so—I’m from Hawaii, and we have similar kind of energies so, it’s been so fun and we just love interacting any time we can,” he said.

Alas setters Jia De Guzman and Owa Retamar also got the opportunity to talk and take a selfie with USA star setter and captain Micah Christenson.

“We talked to the two guy players, there was the setter and we talked about setting a little bit and then the three women’s team players, we shared food together like we’re friends. It was really informal, felt really friendly and that’s the best thing,” Christenson said. 

READ: VNL 2024: USA posts second straight win ahead of Japan clash

Christenson shared he also encouraged Alas to cheer for them when they wrap up their VNL campaign against fellow fan-favorite Japan on Sunday evening.

“It was awesome just to get to talk to them, listen to their experience and talk about how who they’re gonna cheer for if it’s gonna be Japan or us tomorrow. So we put a little pressure on them to cheer for us. But that was great they’re all really good people and it’s cool that we’re able to meet them,” said the setter.

Alas players shared their pictures with the USA stars, relishing their time to meet the VNL runner-up and Olympic-bound Americans. 

Defalco said their short but precious dinner with Alas Pilipinas made their first Manila stint more special aside from the warm support from Filipino fans.



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“It was awesome to see the Manila team, especially in a country like this is amazing. To see some of the culture and get exposed to it is awesome. I had a really great time,” Defalco said. “We kind of conversed with all of them. Little pieces here and there. It was just kind of a quick turnaround to get to know each other, and answer some questions and that was it. It was a great time.”

With Final 8 chances slim, Team USA turns focus to Olympics

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Team USA’s Micah Christenson in the VNL Week 3 in Manila. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — USA skipper Micah Christenson has accepted they won’t make it to the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Final Eight despite the slim chance, but he looks to make the most of their Manila experience to entertain Filipinos and prepare for the Paris Olympics 2024.

Christenson had a playmaking masterpiece of 41 excellent sets to treat the Filipino fans with USA’s 25-21, 18-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-9 win over Brazil on Thursday evening at Mall of Asia Arena.

The veteran setter, who is averaging 30.7 excellent sets per game in the VNL, gave his best effort to greet and sign autographs of their supporters at the fan zone after their game.

READ: VNL 2024: Team USA overcomes Brazil for first win in Manila

“Back in the United States, we play in certain areas where other teams’ fans fill the gym a little bit more. So, this feels like a pretty true home game for us and we’re very grateful for that,” said Christenson, whose teammates also felt at home with the hospitality and energy of the Filipinos.

“I can’t say enough about the support. We felt it a lot, even being here in the Philippines. So now we’re finally here, and we get to feel it in the stadium, it’s something really really special and we can’t say enough about it. We can’t thank the fans enough for being here and supporting us.”

USA, the runner-up of last year’s VNL, still has a chance to the Final Eight with a 4-6 record in 11th place but Christenson is already shifting their focus to the Olympics.

READ: Team USA has ‘mountain to climb’ as VNL unfolds in Manila

“We’re probably not gonna make the VNL Finals so what we’re gonna do is try to build and work our way towards the Olympic Games and getting ready. Tonight was just the first step, the first building block,” said Christenson. “Hopefully, for these next two games, we continue to get just a little bit better.”

“We can do a little bit more in certain phases of the game but we’re having that mindset of just getting a little bit better and trusting the process with the building blocks that we can build,” he added. 

USA wraps up its VNL campaign against Germany on Saturday at 11 a.m., before facing fellow crowd-favorite Japan on Sunday at 7 p.m.



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“I think we’ve shown over the years that we are a very resilient team. We know how to respond to a lot of difficult situations so, we’re gonna fix a few things, but at the same time, we’re gonna trust our process,” Christenson said. “I think, like I said before, it’s a step in the right direction. It’s not perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction.”

Team USA overcomes Brazil for first win in Manila

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Team USA’s TJ Defalco goes for a hit during a VNL 2024 game in Manila. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — TJ Defalco connected to Micah Christenson’s brilliant playmaking as USA earned its first win in Manila after staving off Brazil in five sets,  25-21, 18-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-9, in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week 3 on Thursday night at Mall of Asia Arena.

Defalco delivered 21 points including the two game-clinching attacks, as Christenson orchestrated USA’s offense with 41 excellent sets to keep themselves in the hunt for the Final Eight with a 4-6 record in 11th place. 

The 27-year-old Defalco also led the Americans’ bounce back from a tough 26-28, 25-23, 25-18, 26-28, 15-13 loss to Iran less than 24 hours ago as his 33-point explosion went for naught. 

READ: VNL 2024: Team USA’s Erik Shoji lauds ‘awesome’ Filipino fans

“That one was tough. We’re in an interesting part right now in USA volleyball. We just come out of every game trying to get better and just trying to play USA volleyball. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re figuring it out and that was a big step for us,” said Defalco, who had 18 kills and three aces.

“Coming out of playing Brazil, you know they’re gonna play hard every single time, and I’m very proud of our team staying in the game. We helped each other out. Brazil’s an amazing team and it feels great to barely pull that one out in five.”

Micah Christenson and Torey Defalco in Team USA's first win in VNL Week 3 in Manila

Micah Christenson and Torey Defalco in Team USA’s first win in VNL Week 3 in Manila. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Maxwell Holt finished with 15 points built on nine attacks, four blocks, and two aces that gave USA an 11-6 lead before Defalco put on the finishing touches.

Matt Anderson chipped in 13 points, while Taylor Averill added 11 points to gift their thousands of Filipino fans with a win.

READ: VNL 2024: Micah Christenson, USA grateful for fans’ support in loss

“Very intense five sets against Brazil. They’re always there to come out and play as hard as they can. Our only hope is to match that energy and I feel like we did that tonight,” Defalco said. “A lot of the USA guys are very friendly with Team Brazil because one, they compete really hard when they come to play. Real volleyball all the time. So, it’s very easy to compete and try to get to that level, and they’re at a very high level.”

Defalco also thanked the Filipino fans, who made them feel at home before they take a break on Friday before ending their Week 3 stint against Germany and Japan over the weekend.

Brazil remained as the fourth seed despite dropping to a 6-4 record. Alan Souza carried the team with 26 points. Lukas Bergmann had 19 points, while Lucarelli Souza added 13 points.



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Brazil seeks to bounce back against Canada at 3 p.m. on Friday

Team USA’s Erik Shoji lauds ‘awesome’ Filipino fans

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Erik Shoji and Team USA in the VNL 2024 Week 3 Game in Manila. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Despite a losing debut in Manila, USA libero Erik Shoji felt the love of the Filipino fans, whom he considers the “nicest people in the world.”

USA’s effort went for naught as its comeback was denied by Iran, 26-28, 25-23, 25-18, 26-28, 15-13, in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week 3 on Wednesday evening at Mall of Asia Arena.

But the American libero appreciated the cheers and warmth of the Filipinos despite their dimming Final Eight chances. 

VNL 2024 SCHEDULE: Week 3 Manila, Philippines leg

“We love them. It’s a late night, they’re awesome. Salamat to all the Filipino fans. We’ll see them soon,” Shoji said. 

“We know that Filipino fans love volleyball so we thank them so much for coming and cheering. I’m from Honolulu so it’s cool to be here and it’s been an awesome experience so far.”

Even after the loss, Shoji, Micah Christenson, and other Americans stopped by the Fan Zone to meet some Filipinos.

READ: VNL: Micah Christenson, USA grateful for fans’ support in loss

 Shoji also lauded the hospitality of the Philippines as a host of the VNL for the third straight year.

“They’re taking really good care of us and people are so nice, so accommodating. They’re the nicest people in the world I think,” the 34-year-old libero said. “We’re really happy to be here for the first time. I think it’s almost everyone’s first experience here and so far it’s going good except for that match.”

Shoji and the Americans have no time to dwell on their loss to Iran as they battle Brazil on Thursday evening. 

“We have to learn from this one, move forward and it’s always a good one against Brazil,” Shoji said. “I think we were up and down, of course. We wanted to win today and just be a little bit better and be a little more crisp with our game. Iran played really well. They always play well against us. It was unfortunate in the end to lose that one.”



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The Olympic-bound USA is currently in 12th place with a 3-6 record.

Swimmers in doping scandal named in China Paris Olympics team

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(FILES) Gold medallist China’s Qin Haiyang celebrates on the podium during the medals ceremony for the men’s 50m breaststroke swimming event during the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games. (Photo by Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP)

China will send 11 swimmers implicated in a major doping scandal to next month’s Paris Olympics, after the country named its squad for the Games.

Twenty-three Chinese swimmers tested positive for the prescription heart drug trimetazidine (TMZ) — which can enhance performance — ahead of the pandemic-delayed 2021 Tokyo Games, it emerged in April.

They were not sanctioned after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted the argument of Chinese authorities that the positive tests were caused by contaminated food.

Several of the swimmers went on to win medals, including gold, in Tokyo months later.

READ: Chinese star swimmer Sun Yang’s 8-year doping ban overturned

China named its swimming squad for Paris on Tuesday. Among them were 11 of the 23 who were named in news reports in April that broke the story about the mass positive tests.

The squad includes butterfly specialist Zhang Yufei, who won two golds in Japan, as well as another gold medalist in Wang Shun.

Breaststroke multiple world champion and 200m record-holder Qin Haiyang is another who was named in the reports and will go to Paris.

In April, The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD reported that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for TMZ at a domestic competition in late 2020 and early 2021.

It was determined by Chinese anti-doping authorities that they ingested the substance unwittingly from tainted food at their hotel and no action against them was warranted.

READ: Chinese swimmer Sun Yang handed Tokyo Olympics lifeline

WADA’s decision not to punish the swimmers and allow them to carry on competing provoked intense criticism, particularly from the United States.

There was also anger at how the case emerged, via media reports rather than official channels.

The head of the US national anti-doping agency Travis Tygart called it a “potential cover-up”, an allegation WADA and China have strongly denied.

WADA has said it will send a compliance audit team to China to “assess the current state of the country’s anti-doping program”, an investigation that China has said it will cooperate with.

Asked Wednesday about when that compliance team might go to China, Beijing said only that it “consistently adhered to the firm stance of zero tolerance for doping”.

China has “resolutely safeguarded the physical and mental health of athletes, safeguarded fair competition in sports competitions, and has made positive contributions to the unified global fight against doping”, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.

 Scrutiny in Paris

This month The New York Times reported that Qin, Wang and another swimmer among the 23 had also tested positive for a different banned substance in separate cases years earlier.

The Times said the three tested positive for clenbuterol in 2016 and 2017.

Chinese authorities argued they had ingested the substance inadvertently through contaminated meat and no disciplinary action was taken.

WADA said the trio were found to have levels of clenbuterol which were between “six and 50 times lower” than the minimum reporting level currently used by the agency.

In a statement to AFP, China’s anti-doping body hit back this week, calling the latest Times story a violation of “media ethics and morals”.

Along with powerhouses the United States and Australia, China will expect to be among the swimming medals when the Paris Olympics begin on July 26.

China’s swimmers will however be under intense added scrutiny.

Speaking on the eve of the US Olympic trials, which started Saturday, the 100m breaststroke world record-holder Lilly King called the most recent revelations involving Chinese swimmers “disappointing and frustrating”.

“You know, when we put everything on the line… everything that we do to compete with a level playing field, it’s extremely frustrating to not have faith that others are doing the same thing,” she said.

Australia’s head swimming coach Rohan Taylor urged his team to focus on themselves.



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“We have to trust that WADA and (governing body) World Aquatics are going to continue to investigate and that we are aligned with a clean sport,” he said.

Team USA faces ‘mountain to climb’ as VNL unfolds in Manila

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USA team captain Micah Christenson during a press conference ahead of the VNL Week 3 in Manila. –PNVF PHOTO

VNL 2024 schedule: Week 3 Manila, Philippines leg

MANILA, Philippines — Team USA braces for a tough climb to the Final Eight of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) as it plays crucial games in its first stint in Manila for Week 3.

All eyes are on the Americans as they play at Mall of Asia Arena for the first time in the Philippines’ third straight hosting of the prestigious world tournament.

“It’s a pleasure to be here. It’s our first year here. We felt a lot of love online and on social media from Filipino fans so to finally be here and experience it in person is a real pleasure,” USA skipper Micah Christenson said. “We’re excited to experience it all.”

Christenson, the reigning VNL Best Setter, knows his team is facing the daunting task of making it to the Top 8 as they are currently in 12th place with a 3-5 record.

“I think we’re trying to just improve and get better. We’ve got a bit of a mountain to climb in terms of qualifying for the finals,” he said. “But we brought our climbing gears so we’re going to try our best to get up there.”

READ: ‘Great expectations’ ahead for Japan in VNL Manila leg

USA coach John Speraw, meanwhile, said is awe of the Philippine volleyball’s popularity that they will finally get to experience it in Manila, where the FIVB Men’s World Championship next year will also be held. 

“We were talking about the fact that we had not had an opportunity to come to the Philippines yet we were looking forward to that day. Here we are so we’re excited to be here and grateful for the opportunity to experience it,” Speraw said.

“I’ve heard so much about which is the support of the Philippine fans and how much volleyball has grown here in this country. And certainly a precursor to the world championships next year.”

The USA will debut in Manila on Wednesday against Iran at 7 p.m. after the 3 p.m. game between France and Germany.

“We’re trying to have our best week of VNL and play our best volleyball this summer and as we look to continue to improve with the ultimate goal in mind. We’re excited to get out and compete and see all the fans,” said the USA coach.

The Top 8 teams will qualify in the VNL Final Round in Poland. The league is also serving as the final volleyball tournament before the Paris Olympics with five tickets based on the FIVB World Rankings up for grabs.



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Only seven countries – USA, host France, Germany, Brazil, Japan, Poland, and Canada – have booked their Olympic seats so far.

The Netherlands and Brazil open the VNL Leg 3 on Tuesday at 5 p.m., followed by the main game between Japan and Canada at 8:30 p.m.

Team USA, Japan arrive for VNL in Manila

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Team USA arriving in Manila for the VNL competition hosted by the country. –PH VOLLEYBALL PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Volleyball Nations League (VNL) fever is on as fan favorites the United States and Japan arrived in Manila on Saturday.

The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) shared that the competing men’s teams in its third consecutive hosting of the VNL have landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Team USA, led by ace setter Micah Christenson, is set for its Manila debut, receiving a warm welcome from its Filipino fans at the airport.

READ: VNL: A primer on a world-class tournament

The Americans will debut on Wednesday against Iran at Mall of Asia Arena, 7 p.m.

Japan, bannered by Ran Takahashi, Yuki Ishikawa, and Yuji Nishida, also arrived on Saturday afternoon for its third consecutive Manila stint.

The Japanese highlight the opening day of the third leg on Tuesday against Canada, which landed in Manila earlier, at 8:30 p.m. The Netherlands and Brazil raise the curtains at 5 p.m.

READ: MOA Arena to host 2024 VNL Manila leg

Alas Pilipinas men’s squad was supposed to take on Japan in a friendly but PNVF announced it won’t push through “due to unforeseen circumstances that have impacted its preparation and scheduling.”

“Our commitment to delivering an exciting volleyball experience remains unwavering. Please stay tuned to our official channels for updates on future events,” the PNVF wrote on Friday. “In the meantime, join us for Week 3 of VNL 2024 from June 18-23 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. We look forward to seeing you cheer your hearts out!”

Germany and France are also part of the third VNL in Manila.



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