Volley Bolt defying expectations with PVL streak

MANILA, Philippines – Megabuilders joined the men’s division of the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference without expecting much. The Volley Bolt ended up hoping for the best.

Parading mostly players from the National University, the Volley Bolt have defied the odds and racked up six straight wins, including a shock victory over the heavily favored Cignal HD Spikers, the reigning Reinforced Conference champions, 26-24, 26-24, 25-17, on July 19.

The pristine 6-0 (win-loss) record catapulted Megabuilders straight to the best-of-three semifinal round and could complete a sweep of the elims if it could pull the rug from under defending champion Air Force.

Cignal, the title-favorite entering the conference, is currently at second with a 5-1 record while Air Force at No. 3 with a 4-2 slate.

Unlike Cignal and Air Force where individual talent is in abundance, Megabuilders rely on players’ familiarity with one another.

“The key for us is that we play as a team and family,” said Megabuilders coach Dante Alinsunurin in Filipino.

Fauzi Ismael, Francis Philip Saura, Kim Malabunga, Bryan Bagunas, Ricky Marcos and Kim Harold Dayandante have been spearheading the Volley Bolt’s campaign with strong plays.

Alinsunurin said initially, they just want to compete and use this tournament as part of their preparation for the UAAP wars, which start early next year.

“We just want to just compete and get the experience here to prepare us for the UAAP competition,” said Alinsunurin. “We didn’t really expect to beat almost everyone because we know we’re facing strong teams with experience and talented players.”

Now that they’re on the verge of going all the way, Alinsunurin said they might as well dream bigger.

“Nothing to celebrate yet but if we get the chance to win the title, we might as well go for it,” he said.