It's safe to say that USA's Taylor Averill will be back in the Philippines after receiving so much love and support from the Filipino fans.
Filipino volleyball supporters love Team USA—and clearly, the Americans love them back.
Since arriving in the Philippines, Team USA has been showered with plenty of support from their fans, none more evident than their first two games at the Mall of Asia Arena for the 2024 VNL Manila Leg.
After grabbing their first win in Manila against Brazil, USA’s middle blocker Taylor Averill made sure to give the Filipino crowd some love for energizing the team in the five-set thriller.
“This is the best environment, playing one of the best teams in the world. I'm so proud of the way we bounced back from yesterday's loss,” Averill told reporters after the match.
“We showed a lot of resilience, and I've probably said it a thousand times: I love the Philippines. Like, to have so much support when games are really close, to have the fans really cheering in our favor, I think it helped a lot,” he emphasized.
Throughout the match, the fan-favorite American squad received plenty of cheers and applause from the crowd, including USA chants during the fifth set.
“It's the best. You need it. It's the seventh player on the floor. It really changes the momentum, and it helps a lot, and we're so grateful to have the support of the Philippines,” said Averill, who finished with 11 points in the match.
With just a few more days left in their VNL Manila Leg experience, the 32-year-old middle blocker admitted wanting to spend more time in the Philippines and even promised to come back in the future.
“I wish we had more time to explore. I mean, I'll definitely be coming back. The people here are incredible,” said Averill.
“Look, we play volleyball, and in the US, for the men, we don't get so much love, and to come to a country like the Philippines and feel so loved by the people here, it makes it really special, and I think a lot of us embrace that as well,” he added.
[ALSO READ: ‘Nicest people in the world’ | Erik Shoji shows love to Filipino fans after USA’s first match in VNL Manila Leg]
But before they fly back to the United States after the leg, Averill hopes to try a Filipino favorite: Jollibee.
“I'm embarrassed to say, not really [tried out any Filipino food], but hopefully we can go to a Jollibee's soon. That's what I'm hoping to do,” Averill ended.
@onesportsphl GIVE THIS MAN SOME JOLLIBEE 🤩 Team USA’s Taylor Averill just can’t get enough of the Philippines and its people, especially with how they’ve been receiving so much love and support from the Filipino fans. We do hope he gets to try plenty of Filipino food before they fly out at the end of Week 3 of the 2024 Volleyball Men’s Nations League. | via Kiko Demigillo/One Sports Digital #OSOnTheSpot #VNL2024 #BePartofTheGame #SportsonTiktok ? original sound - OneSportsPHL