Garcia pumped up over team-up with established national squad stars

Jude Garcia —MARLO CUETO

Jude Garcia can’t wait to share the court with international stars Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo after earning a spot in the 14-man Alas Pilipinas pool for the 20th Asian Games in Aichi, Nagoya from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4.

For the most decorated player in Spikers’ Turf history, the call-up presents an opportunity to finally team-up with two players he has long admired.

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“I’m happy, excited, and it’s a huge privilege to be with them,” Garcia told the Inquirer in Filipino. “Of course, I also want to learn from them because of all their experience playing abroad.

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“For many players here in the Philippines, they’re the ones we look up to.”

Espejo and Bagunas spearheaded Alas Pilipinas’ breakthrough 2025 campaign, helping the Philippines narrowly miss the Round of 16 in the FIVB Men’s World Championship before leading the team back to the Southeast Asian Games podium with a bronze medal in Thailand, its first medal since the historic silver finish on home soil in 2019.

Since then, Bagunas has captured an SV.League title, while Espejo won a Taiwan league championship with TSG SEA Hawks.

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Garcia, meanwhile, has established himself as the face of Spikers’ Turf, winning five straight conference MVPs, back-to-back season MVPs while leading Criss Cross to its first two championships.

The former Far Eastern University standout also won three Southeast Asian Games bronze medals in beach volleyball. But his Alas Pilipinas stint will mark his first appearance for the national indoor team.

Garcia got a PH team invite last year but declined after his wife became pregnant.

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Now, he believes the timing is finally right.

“It was definitely worth the wait, and the decision wasn’t easy. There are times when you really have to make sacrifices,” he said. “I believe that if something is truly meant for you, God will eventually give it to you.”

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Garcia joins a pool that also includes Owa Retamar, Leo Ordiales, Buds Buddin, Lloyd Josafat, Al Bukharie Sali, Peng Taguibolos, Josh Ybañez, Adrian Villados, Vince Lorenzo, Kristofer Rodge Alejos and Trevor Valera under Italian coach Angiolino Frigoni.