Filipino Volleyball Players Who Played in Japan

Thirdy Ravena isn't the first Filipino athlete to be able to play in a league in Japan and he won't certainly be going to be the last one to do so. 

Thirdy Ravena becoming just the first import who is set to play in Japan's B.League after the three-time Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), adds Ravena to a list of Filipino athletes who have already starred in various leagues in The Land of the Rising Sun. And it's not just in basketball.

In fact, Ravena isn't the first former Ateneo student-athlete who took his talents to Japan. 

While he is currently suiting for a volleyball squad in Thailand, Marck Espejo, who led the Ateneo Blue Eagles to a three-peat in the UAAP men's volleyball championship, had a brief stint in Japan after receiving an offer from the Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler. And while his first stint in Japan thus far ended in disappointment as his team finished with an awful 4-23 record, Espejo's presence in Japan's V.League was felt and that's the kind of presence that is expected from a five-time UAAP MVP. 

Another former UAAP star who coincidentally is playing for Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler is Bryan Bagunas. And like Espejo, he is also one of the mainstays of the men's volleyball national team of the Philippines. And yes, he also helped the National University Bulldogs win two UAAP championships where he was also the Finals MVP on both occasions. Bagunas noted in an interview last year that volleyball training in Japan leans towards technique which, according to him, is different to the training here in the country that is focused on the physicality aspect of the game. 

But perhaps, Jaja Santiago's stint in Japan with the Ageo Medics is something that is already a success story for many. In just her first season in Japan's V.League, the other half of the towering Santiago sisters who both played for the NU Lady Bulldogs, was able to lead the Medics to a bronze medal finish in Division 1 of the said league. And according to Jaja, the other squads in Japan are looking for more Filipina players. And yes, Jaja Santiago plans to return to Japan for another round of duty for the Medics once the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic eases out. And while it may take a long time for that to happen, we can expect to see more spikes from the high-flying Santiago.

Thirdy Ravena joining Japan's B.League is big but for Japanese teams looking to sign more Filipina stars for the V.League, it's only a matter of time before more of our volleyball stars get the opportunity to play overseas and that's a good sign for the Philippine volleyball community as it means that the rest of the world is now recognizing our country's capability to produce athletes who can perform at international level. And it's not just in basketball. 

Photo is from ESPN