Farm Fresh’s Jheck Dionela during a game against Galeries in the PVL All-Filipino Conference.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Jheck Dionela, part of Cignal’s pioneering team under founding coach Sammy Acaylar, honored her late coach, who passed away at age 66 on Thursday.
Hours before Farm Fresh’s match against Galeries Tower, the Philippine volleyball community mourned the death of Acaylar as tributes poured on social media. The PVL even offered a moment of silence for the decorated coach before the ZUS Coffee-Chery Tiggo game started.
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Dionela, who played for Acaylar at Cignal and her brother’s coach at the University of Perpetual Help, was emotional when she saw the PVL’s tribute, remembering all her fond memories with Acaylar and his huge contribution to Philippine volleyball.
READ: Sammy Acaylar, veteran volleyball coach, dies at 66
Jheck Dionela on coach Sammy Acaylar’s legacy. #PVL2025 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/xV3Hx1Rixx
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) January 30, 2025
“Yung kanina yung moment of silence napanood ko sa live. Talagang hindi ko naiwasan umiyak kasi high school pa lang ako kilala ko na si coach Sam. So I respect him a lot and ang dami naming pinagdaanan naging coach siya ng kuya ko, naging coach ko siya sa Cignal, sa national team and ayun nakakalungkot kasi isa talaga siya sa malaking impact sa career ko,” said Dionela, who played for Acaylar’s national team in the AVC Asian Senior Women’s Championship in 2015.
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“Nagpapasalamat talaga ako kay Coach Sam kasi ang dami niyang natulungan na players. And ang dami niyang na-influence ng mga players. And isa talaga siya sa mga well-known and well-respected sa volleyball community,” she added
However, the biggest impact of Acaylar on the veteran libero was loyalty.
Dionela is the only player to stay in a club for 11 years, playing for Cignal from 2013 to 2024 before she found a new home at Farm Fresh late last year.
“As a player, loyalty. Yun si Coach Sam, knowing him, talagang loyal siya sa mga players niya,” she said. “Kung nasaan siya, gusto niya dalhin niya talaga yung mga players niya dun. And marami siya na-inspire, marami siya na tulungan na players.”
Dionela hopes to honor Acaylar’s legacy as the coach steered the Perpetual Help men’s volleyball program to 14 NCAA championships — the most in the league — including a record 53-game winning streak from 2010-2014.
The Altas will be gunning for its fifth straight championship this Season 100. He also led the school’s women’s program to a ‘three-peat’ from 2012 to 2014 and was part of the Philippine men’s volleyball team’s last gold medal in the 1993 Southeast Asian Games in Singapore, working as a coaching staff of Russian tactician Stanislav Lugailo.
READ: PVL: Acaylar ‘grateful’ after long-awaited recognition from hometown
Dionela believes that more than the achievements of the former men’s national team coach, his greatest legacy will be all the players he developed to take Philippine volleyball to greater heights.
“Honestly, marami siya mga nadala dito, dito sa PVL. From previous leagues and sa college, andami niyang binigay niya championship sa Perpetual. Sobrang laking loss. Naramdaman ko, kanina nga naiiyak ako. Pero ganoon talaga ang buhay, circle of life. And hopefully ma-honor namin yung iniwan niyang legacy,” she said.
One of those players is Alas Pilipinas star Louie Ramirez, a two-time NCAA MVP who led Perpetual Help to a historic “four-peat” last year.
“Hinding hindi namin makakalimutan yung mga memories kasama ka, mga aral na tinuro mo samin. Maraming salamat sa gabay at pangaral mo samin coach Sam! Isa kang alamat para sa amin coach,” Ramirez posted.
Cignal coach Dexter Clamor, who led the HD Spikers to a grand slam season in the Spikers’ Turf last year, recalled all the learnings from being Acaylar’s player and assistant coach.
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“Maraming Salamat sa lahat ng mga naitulong at naituro mo sakin from playing to coaching and even in life. Disiplina sa lahat ng bagay, dedikasyon sa trabaho at higit sa lahat ang pagiging competitive ilan lang ito sa mga natutunan namin sayo.Naging pangalawang Ama ka ng napakaraming manlalaro lalo na ng mga naging players ng Perpetual!” wrote Clamor.
“Maraming Salamat sa lahat ng Championships natin together Coach from Perps to Cignal! Alam namin na Mahal na mahal mo kami kahit hindi mo sinasabi. Mahal na mahal ka namin Coach at hinding hindi ka namin makakalimutan! Rest in Peace Coach Sam!”
