Spikers kick off bid

Hopefully, we can get the gold this time

The national men’s volleyball team gets an easy test when it battles Cambodia in the opening salvo of the 30th Southeast Asian Games today at the Philsports Arena.

Game time is at 6 p.m. with the Nationals looking for an impressive win that would put its bid of making it to the medal podium on the right track.

The power-hitting troika of Bryan Bagunas, Marck Espejo and Ranran Abdilla would be at the forefront of the attack for the Nationals, who are looking to improved their sixth-place finish in the previous biennial meet in Kuala Lumpur in 2017.

Also joining the national squad’s vaunted offensive machine is skipper Johnvic de Guzman, Mark Alfafara, Joshua Umandal, Ish Polvorosa, Jessie Lopez and Joshua Retamar.

Completing the lineup are Kim Malabunga, Francis Saura, Rex Intal, Ricky Marcos and Jack Kalingking.

The Nationals had a good build up that will gear them up in redeeming themselves in the 11-nation multi-sport event. According to Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas president Joey Romasanta, the squad’s buildup is enough to land them on the podium. “Hopefully, we can get the gold this time,” Romasanta said. “They have been practicing in the earnest and quietly but I am high in hope that they can finish it off with a gold medal.”

The current roster is the best the country can have.

The 22-year old Espejo, who is a five-time University Athletic Association of the Philippines Most Valuable Player, is the country’s deadliest scorer while Bagunas is currently playing as import in the V.Premier League in Japan.

“Individually, they are the best of the best but we have to make sure that they can also be the best as a team,” Romasanta said, adding that the team sharpened its knife in a series of tuneup matches in Japan form 5 to 20 November.

“I can see the team’s cohesion and I can tell that they are very well intact.”