Sammy Acaylar. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Coach Sammy Acaylar said he’s still far from content with the way the Philippine men’s national volleyball team performed in its straight sets win over Macau, 25-16, 25-16, 25-15, in an exhibition game Sunday in the Battle of the Rivals at Mall of Asia Arena.
“I’m still not satisfied,” Acaylar said in Filipino. “What we’ve been practicing in our trainings didn’t show today. Maybe it’s because it’s our first time to play together and also the first time to play in an arena like this with the kind of crowd that we had.”
“Also, maybe it’s our culture that we know that we can beat them, our intensity goes down. But I told the coaching staff that we have to train their psychology and character of the players, that whoever our opponent is, the killer instinct must be there.”
Bonjomar Castel fired seven of his nine points off kills, while Greg Dolor churned the same output to lead the squad.
Ranran Abdilla added six markers, while team captain Johnvic de Guzman and Mark Alfafara uncorked five points each as the Philippines swept its two tuneup matches against Macau, with the first happening last Friday in Imus which also resulted in a straight-sets victory.
Acaylar said that the national team will now go on a twice-a-day training, practicing on mornings and afternoons, before they go to Korea on July 22 to better prepare themselves for the 2017 Southeast Asian Games on August.
In Korea, the training sessions are about to get on another level with thrice-a-day practices on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while continuing their two-a-day sessions on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays until they return home on August 4.
Acaylar is confident that the national team would gain a lot in the Korea trip, noting that the lessons they would gain there will be valuable for the regional tiff.
“Korea is one of the best teams in Asia. That is why I really chose that over Japan for men’s, because I want to develop more on service receive and pattern of floor defense, and especially, blocking because when it comes to men’s blocking is really the name of the game,” he said.
“Also, I told my libero and my setter that every time before they go to sleep, I will really make it a point that Korean coaches will handle them because Koreans are good in setting.”
Acaylar is hopeful that all the sacrifices will pay off in the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur,. Malaysia
“I want to do that because I want to win and the whole Philippines is supporting us, so we really have to deliver good results.”