John Vic de Guzman vows to give it all for Philippine men's volleyball team

John Vic De Guzman pledged to leave everything on the taraflex when the national men's volleyball team sees action in the Southeast Asian Games.

The 6-foot-2 spiker out of College of St. Benilde served as the team captain in the last edition of the biennial meet and helped the squad win a silver medal on home soil.

De Guzman, 27, is not yet assured of retaining his position as skipper for this year's SEA Games in Vietnam, but he vowed to be at his full strength for the flag.

"Regardless of the position, the team can expect my 100% cooperation and dedication," the former NCAA MVP told GMA News Online.

The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) on Wednesday announced the composition of the four national teams ahead of the regional meet happening in Hanoi, Vietnam from November 21 to December 2.

While the women's volleyball team was composed of both old and new faces, the men's team was hardly modified with 13 names still coming from the squad that clinched a historic silver medal in the 2019 SEA Games.

Mainstays Jessie Lopez, Joshua Retamar, Mark Alfafara, Marck Espejo, Bryan Bagunas, Josh Umandal, Rex Intal, Kim Malabunga, Francis Saura, Ish Polvorosa, Jack Kalingking, Ricky Marcos, and De Guzman made it to the pool following a three-day tryout last month.

Completing the pool are Kim Dayadante, Angelo Almedras, Ysay Marasigan, Joeven Dela Vega, John Paul Bugaoan, Lloyd Josafat, and Manuel Sumanguid.

The nationals will be facing powerhouse clubs from reigning champion Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Singapore.

Despite the tall tasks ahead of the team, De Guzman remains confident that the Philippines can finally bag the gold medal that has been elusive to the country since joining in 1977.

"It will not be an easy task. But we will work hard right away and prepare for it," said De Guzman, who is also an artist under the GMA Network.

"This lineup is still the same lineup from 2019 except for (Ranran) Abdilla who moved outdoors. The new players in the pool will definitely add more energy and agility to the team," he said.

De Guzman said he is up for another tour of duty as the team captain, but everything will still depend on how the coaching staff will go about things.

According to seasoned mentor Alinsunurin, the appointment of team captain would vastly bank on their training and crucial buildup for the 2021 SEA Games.

"Of course there's still our team captain, John Vic, but it will really depend on our situation and on our training," said the multi-titled tactician in a virtual press conference Wednesday.

"I will still discuss it with the coaches on what skills the captain ball should have." —MGP, GMA News