Here is a reproduced article from Philippine Graphic Magazine, from Nov. 20, 1929, part of "My Most Thrilling Game", a series of sports features based on interviews with our most popular athletes of the 1920s generation.
AUREO AQUINO has been playing volleyball since he
was in the fourth grade. From that time till and through his high school days,
he captained every team with which he was connected and often led it to
championship. It was not long before he began to attract attention and his fame
went beyond boundaries of his native province, Laguna.
Finally, his brand of playing made such an impression on competetnt observers that he was asked to represent his country in the Far Eastern Olympics. This was in 1925, and the games were held in Manila.
“It was in the first game against China,” relates Mr. Aquino. “It was my first appearance on the field as an Olympic player and I was naturally excited. Added to this fact was the rumor that had reached us that the Chinese had a srong team.
“I remember very well that I was rather nervous as I donned my uniform in the dressing room. When went inot the court, my nervousness increased. I looked around and everywhere saw hundreds and hundreds of people—and most of them were Chinese. They had come in a body to root for China’s team and although the games was played here at home, the Filipino fans were decidedly outnumbered.
“The first set found us disconcerted. The Chinese methods was so different from ours—from what were used to. You know, our way is this: there are three rows of players in a volleyball team—the netters, the killers, and the stoppers, in the order of their proximity to the net. When the ball comes across the net, it is slammed back in either of the following ways: if the netter gets ot, he tosses it up and a killer drives it back. If a killer or a stopper gets it, he passes it on to a netter for the toss.
“The Chinese did things differently. The netters did not
“prepare “ the ball at a great height so that when it was killed, it came
sizzling to us just barely above the net. Moreover, they could pass toss, and
kill with remarkable swiftness.
“Naturally, at first, they had an easy time of it.But we soon pulled ourselves together and gave them a stiff fight. Their method of attack, after all. Had one disadvantage—their skills necessarily lacked maximum force. Morebover, we gradually became used to their way, so that in the end, we won the set.
“The second set found us more confident—the Chinese more team active. They revealed unexpected strength, played furiously, and despite all that we could do, and the fact that we were now wise to their ways, romped away with the second set—thus making necessary a third set…which would decide the winner.
“I can never forget that third set. Both contenders showed admirable teamwork, training and never-flagging energy. The sphere was simply murdered and see-sawed from side to side over the net. Killed, stopped, passed, tossed, and counter-killed—now with us, now with the Chinese. All were on their toes, giving the best in them to win the deciding set for his team.
“However, the greater speed and force of our kill could not but show results. My team-mates fought like anything. As for myself, being a high jumper, I had an advantage. They could toss the ball very high, and I would jump and slam it towards the Chinese with ease—well-timed, as strongly as I could, and at just the most telling angle.
“But the Chinese struggled gallantly to the end—and beyond. They gave us, as far as I am concerned at least, the fight of our lives, and indeed, had us in a tight fix at one time. With the set nearing its end, they forged ahead and soon piled up twenty points. Trailing behind, we played desperately and held them nailed to twenty, while we strive to overtake them.
Just as we were about to even the score, they shot a hot one into our territory, one of their low kills, which one of our netters fumbled and set back sailing awkwardly to the stoppers, one of whom had to deviate from our usual way—and tossed the ball. One of the killers had to slap the ball at a most dangerous angle. Everything really depended on that kill. Defeat was staring us in the face. One more point for the Chinese would be disastrous to the Filipinos. Every man in our team was tense. The ball soared. As it descended, one of our killers leaped into the air. Bang!! It went over to knot the score at 20-20.
“So we fought out a decision—with extra points. Both teams fought every inch of the way and never left the other more than two points behind. Several decisions had to be played—the score mounted to about 26 before the game ended—and even then, we won by a very slight margin only. But, that effort to bring the count to 20-20 was the most thrilling in my career as a volleyball player.”
SOURCE:
“My Most Thrilling Game” #2, by Aureo Aquino, Graphic
Magazine, 20 November 1929, p. 6
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