MANILA, Philippines— Owa Retamar was reminiscent of Philippine men’s volleyball’s historic Southeast Asian Games silver medal finish after playing his first home game for the national team in five years on Friday.

Strutting his stuff in front of a sizeable home crowd at Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila, Retamar orchestrated Alas Pilipinas’ offense with Bryan Bagunas and newcomers Louie Ramirez and Buds Buddin doing the damage to overcome Vietnam, 25-21, 25-22, 18-25, 25-23, in the SEA VLeague first leg opener.

The star playmaker, who returned to the national squad this year after his hiatus in 2023, felt like they resumed the progress of the program they built when they reached the Manila SEA Games gold medal match in 2019.

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Owa Retamar on his national team return. #SEAVLeague @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/QqwxHPP8tA

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) August 16, 2024

“Nakaka-miss yung 2019 and nakakatuwa kasi new set of players kasi ngayon. Kumbaga collegiate halos lahat lalo na nung nilabas si kuya Bryan so nakakatuwa kasi nilaban namin kahit mga bata yung kasama ko,” said Retamar, who debuted in the national team five years ago as a 19-year-old starter.

The National University product, who wasn’t part of last year’s VLeague campaign, was thrilled to help the team get back at Vietnam, which beat the Philippines in a pair of heartbreaking five-setters, and ended a six-game winless run in the regional tournament. 

“Sobrang laking bagay kasi nung last SEA VLeague muntik na nila matalo. Ngayon, ako naman yung part ng team na setter na nanalo kami kaya sobrang saya,” he said.

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Although he played under Sergio Veloso in his comeback in the AVC Challenge Cup in Bahrain, Retamar marveled at the program’s improvement under new Italian coach Angiolino Frigoni, who has NU and Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsunurin, UST coach Odjie Mamon, and Cignal mentor Dexter Clamor on his side. 

“As in tumataas na talaga yung level ng men’s volleyball sa Pilipinas na kahit collegiate mga players kaya sumabay sa international ganitong laban,” Retamar said. “Sobrang taas ng tingin ko sa team ko kasi unang-una may sobrang galing at strict kami na head coach. Sinamahan pa nila coach Dante, coach Odjie, coach Dex, tsaka yung mga coaching staff. Yung Cignal pa, grabe yung pag bantay sa amin. Grabe ‘yung sineset nila kaya nakakatuwa saka nakaka-boost din na mag-training lagi.”

The two-time UAAP Best Setter and Finals MVP believes this is just the start of Alas men’s team’s resurgence as they try to inch a win closer to a gold medal when they take on defending champion Indonesia on Saturday.