Alinsunurin appointed Philippine men’s volleyball assistant coach

MANILA, Philippines – Seasoned mentor Dante Alinsunurin will make a comeback as one of the deputies for the national men’s team as the host Philippines pulls out all the stops to parade a competitive squad against the best of the best in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championships 2025.

The former national tactician has been appointed to serve as one of the deputies to current head coach Sergio Veloso, whom the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) named as his replacement last year.

Alinsunurin authored the Filipino spikers’ silver-medal finish in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games here at home and their fifth-place campaign in the 2022 Hanoi edition before Veloso, from Brazil, took over.

Another experienced mentor in University of Santo Tomas’ Odjie Mamon is also in as Veloso’s assistants, making it a stacked coaching staff for the Philippines that had been picked by the FIVB as the world tilt host for the first time ever.

All three coaches are currently in the thick of competition in the UAAP Season 86 with Veloso also serving as the new head coach of the rebuilding Ateneo women’s team.

Mamon, with UST, and Alinsunurin with three-time champion NU and Choco Mucho in the PVL are going head-to-head in the UAAP men’s division after meeting in the finals last year.

The star-studded coaching staff has been tasked by the PNVF to come up with a 25-man training pool next month after the ongoing Spikers’ Turf.

The 25-man pool, which is expected to be led by top spikers Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas, will take part in year-long build-up before being trimmed down to 14 players for the world joust on September 12 to 28.

The Philippines last participated in the event back in the 1974 edition in Mexico and as host this time gained an automatic slot in the world championships featuring the 32 best nations led by reigning world champion Italy and current No. 1 Poland.