Former captain Leo Aringo becomes the latest NU Bulldog to take his act overseas.
When National University completed their UAAP Men’s Volleyball five-peat last May, head coach Dante Alinsunurin hinted that captain Leo Aringo might forgo his last playing year for a shot to take his act overseas.
At the time, Aringo was fresh off a strong Season 87 campaign with the Bulldogs, which culminated with a Finals Most Valuable Player award following their hard-fought championship bout against the resurgent FEU Tamaraws.
“Mayroon pa siya [playing year], pero mayroon kaming nakita na mas makakabuti sa kanya, kaya sabi ko nga, ito naman ‘yung gusto namin mangyari sa bawa’t player, na mapunta sa mga international, kaya dun siya papunta, sabi ko nga sa kanya mas okay na doon,” Alinsunurin said during Game 3 of the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball finals last May 17.
A month after that initial announcement, Aringo’s move became official last June 16, signing with Saitama Azalea for the 2025-26 Japan SV.League season to become the third NU men’s product after Bryan Bagunas and Madzlan “Madz” Gampong to be snapped up as Asian imports.
The Davao native will formally exit National U after the FISU World University Games this July, and is set to join Saitama by mid-August to prepare for the new SV.League season.
“Sobrang happy ako, kasi isa ako sa mapalad na napili na maging import sa ibang bansa, lalo na Japan, and ‘yun. Sana maging [inspiration] ako sa mga young athletes, at ma-inspire ko sila na gawin mo ‘yung sports mo na mababago ‘yung buhay mo” Aringo told The GAME in an exclusive interview.
“Actually, sabi nga ni Coach Dante sa akin, ako ‘yung parang isa sa mga example, kasi ‘yun ‘yung pangarap ng mga coaches eh, na maglaro kami sa ibang bansa para tumaas ‘yung level ng volleyball dito sa Philippines.”
Aringo, though, admitted that a part of him considered returning for UAAP Season 88. After all, the UAAP shaped him into the player that he is today, and he has formed lifelong bonds with his teammates and coaches over at National U.
However, the outgoing captain soon realized that he wasn’t getting any younger and that responsibilities would begin piling up sooner rather than later.
“May mga duties ako na need ko i-fulfill ko sa family ko at sa sarili ko, so ‘yan. Sacrifice ko na lang muna ‘yung last playing year ko, and mag-proceed ako sa Japan. Alam naman ni coach, at alam ‘yan ng lahat na ikabubuti ko ‘yan,” he said.
Sharpened by adversity
Anyone who has followed this National U batch knows that Leo Aringo took his time to blossom into the leader and gunner that he is today. As he puts it himself, he started “from zero” in Jhocson, and the opportunity to play abroad was something that he never expected.
Some may remember Aringo riding the bench in UAAP Season 85, where he had to split time with then-rookie Michaelo “Buds” Buddin, and the veteran Nico Almendras as the team’s outside hitters.
“First year ko [UAAP Season 82], bangko, second year, pandemic, akala ko mag-first six na ako,” Aringo recalled. “Pag third year ko, ako na sana first six, kaso na-elbow ako kasi out of shape talaga. Ang bagal ng improvement ko sa open, wala akong pasa.”
Aringo admitted falling into depression after getting elbowed out of the starting lineup, thinking that the pursuit of his volleyball dreams was about to fade into obscurity.
“Kasi ‘yung mga dreams ko dati, na parang nung nawala ako sa first six, parang dahan-dahan naglalaho ba. Then ‘yun, lagi ako nagpi-pray, tinatawagan ko ‘yung mama ko, lalo na ‘yung bunso namin kasi ina-idolize ako noon,” he recalled.
A fateful phone call from his father, however, helped the outgoing captain pick himself up and try to regain his starting spot.
“Yung first time na nag–sabi sakin si Papa na ‘nak, i-graduate mo na lang ‘yan tapos uwi ka na [to Davao], wag ka lang sumuko diyan’. Then ayun, dun ako parang na-touch na parang nasa utak ko noon na uuwi ako diyan nang may naabot talaga,” the outgoing captain recalled.
The lead-up to UAAP Season 86 proved to be a turning point for Leo Aringo, where he was fielded as an opposite hitter by Dante Alinsunurin during offseason tournaments such as the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference and the V-League Collegiate Challenge.
As Aringo previously told The GAME, transitioning from an outside hitter to an opposite hitter is far from easy, given the different skill sets needed per position. But at this point, the captain knew that only a champion-level work ethic could keep his volleyball dreams alive.
“Sobrang struggle talaga ako, and nagpapasalamat ako sa mga coaches na hindi sila nag-give up sakin. First round, then second round [of UAAP Season 86], um-okay na hanggang nag-championship,” said Aringo, who emerged as a third option behind Buddin and Almendras as an opposite hitter.
A defined role didn’t stop Aringo’s desire for continued improvement. Given the talent pipeline within Alinsunurin’s National U, losing your starting spot can be as easy as gaining one, which he already experienced back in Season 85.
“Kaya nag-try ako ng beach volley [for UAAP Season 87] then ‘yun, kalaban ko sa position ko in [indoor] si Leo Ordiales. Alam naman natin na kung gaano siya kabigat kalaban,” Aringo said. “Then nag-improve ako, and habang nagi-improve ‘yung mga floor defense skills ko, then pasa ko, without knowing pagbalik ko ng indoor, opposite pa ako, tapos pumapasa na ako!”
Indeed, UAAP Season 87 saw Aringo take on both wing spiking roles as needed. However, at this point, he was also given the unenviable task of captaining the Bulldogs in their eventual five-peat bid.
Season 87 is regarded as one of, if not the toughest stretch in National U’s dynastic streak, given the hectic transition from the Retamar-Almendras era, and a tough postseason run that saw FEU and UST push their dynasty to a corner.
“Eto ‘yung pinaka-malala daw na pinagdaanan nila Coach Dante…kasi preparation namin, may mga [nawalan] ng family, relatives, tapos may mga problems pa ‘yung mga teammates ko, so ang gulo-gulo pa ng team. Tapos ako, bagsakan ng lahat. Sakin babagsak lahat ‘yan, kasi ako ‘yung captain eh!” Aringo said of his Season 87 captaincy.
If the first half of Leo Aringo’s career refined his work ethic, being his team’s emotional anchor taught him how to stand up for his brothers in the face of adversity.
“Wag mo talaga talikuran teammate mo, kasi pamilya mo na ‘yan. Tas kung may problema ka, pwede mo pagsabihan teammates mo, ‘yung mga ganon, basta wag mo lang talikuran mga teammates mo, ganon lang,” Aringo reflected.
Hint of familiarity
Earned and not given is the perfect way to describe Leo Aringo’s time with National U, as it was a stage that taught him to remain steadfast in keeping his dreams alive. There is also the versatility he learned under Alinsunurin’s tutelage, which could likely help him crack the rotation in Saitama.
More than the on-court experiences, however, Aringo’s time in Jhocson gave him a sense of familiarity with the Japanese system that could be attributed to the Bulldogs’ training camps in the Land of the Rising Sun.
“Open si Coach Dante sa knowledge, na kung nage-evolve ‘yung volleyball, tara mag-evolve din tayo. Nung nag-Japan na ‘yung NU, dun na, marami na siyang nakukuha hanggang ngayon, and ever since na nag-Japan si Coach Dante, dun na nag-start [‘yung five-peat],” Aringo, referring to NU’s title run in UAAP Season 81, shared.
As early as now, Aringo knows that being an import will have its share of challenges deeper than getting a grasp of Japan’s volleyball philosophies. More than being a rookie, he’ll be away from his family in Davao and will have to familiarize himself with Japan’s colder-than-usual climate.
But at the end of the day, he knows that this sacrifice will be worth it. No matter the result of his stay with Saitama, Aringo is confident that his upcoming stint will help him mature as a volleyball player.
“Sobrang excited ako kasi alam ko may need akong patunayan, excited ako kasi marami akong matutunan, and if ever hindi naman ako maging successful, ‘yung mga learnings ko, pwede ko ipasa. ‘Yan lang ‘yung excited ako kasi marami akong knowledge na makukuha sa Japan, kasi dun naman din nag-start ‘yung isa sa mga programa ni Coach Dante,” Aringo said.
Along with his skillsets, Aringo also vowed to bring his leadership chops to Saitama, who hope to get over the hump after a fourth-place finish in the 2024-25 SV.League season.
“Sabi ni Coach Dante, hindi ka kukunin kahit MVP ka kung hindi ka champion. Kukunin ka kasi champion ka and nakatatak talaga sa akin ‘yun dati,” Aringo said. “So kung may maka-close ako doon na teammate, gusto ko i-push na taasan namin ‘yung mga pangarap namin, kasi ‘yun din ‘yung ginawa namin sa NU, ine-aim namin ‘yung pinaka-tuktok.”
As for National U, Aringo is more than confident that a core led by Buddin, Ordiales, Jade Disquitado, and Peng Taguibolos will defend the men’s volleyball crown by Season 88 next year.
“Basta maging disiplinado lang kayo at buoin niyo ‘yung team at wag maging makasarili, sa inyo pa rin ‘yan pagdating ng UAAP [Season 88]. Kasi ako lang mawawala eh, tapos ang pinakamahirap na season is ngayon [Season 87].”
Images courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.