USA star libero Erik Shoji enjoys watching Bryan Bagunas and the rest of Alas Pilipinas in action.
When the Philippine men’s national volleyball team captured a historic silver in the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019, USA libero Erik Shoji took notice.
The momentous achievement of the Filipinos resonated beyond regional borders, catching the attention of Shoji, who found himself captivated by their performance, especially that of Bryan Bagunas.
“I’ve watched Bryan Bagunas before on YouTube and the team in the SEA Games 2019,” Shoji revealed.
"It was fun to watch those players. I know they’re so popular here.”
And with Team USA already in Manila for the Philippine leg of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), Shoji and the rest of the squad took the time from their busy schedule to connect with Alas Pilipinas Men last Friday, June 21.
Of course, Shoji and Bagunas made the most out of their brief encounter.
"It was really fun... It was nice to meet him [Bagunas]. I’ve seen him play, so I know how good he is for sure,” the Honolulu, Hawaii native cheerily shared.
“Yeah, you know, it was short. We met them for maybe five minutes before, then we had the interview and then we talked for five to 10 minutes after. They were fun, you know, I love the Filipino people, the energy they have, it’s so — I’m from Hawaii, and we have similar kind of energies so, it’s been so fun and we just love interacting any time we can.”
The meeting between the two teams was more than just a formality, it was truly a celebration of mutual respect and admiration.
After such a memorable encounter, the Americans buckled down to business on Saturday, June 22, taking down the Germans to keep their Final Eight hopes flickering.
The United States now holds a 5-6 record at 11th place. To advance to the quarterfinals, the Olympic-bound, 5th-ranked team in the world must win its final preliminary match while hoping that Cuba, Serbia, and Argentina lose their remaining games.
Shoji and the rest of Team USA now shift their focus to a marquee clash against a Ran Takahashi-less Japan on Sunday, June 23, at 7:00 p.m.