JHECK Dionela mourned the loss of veteran volleyball coach Sammy Acaylar, who paved the way for her and her brother’s entries to the sport.
Acaylar, 66, passed away on Thursday, hours before Dionela took the taraflex with Farm Fresh in the 2025 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
READ: Sammy Acaylar, men's volleyball stalwart, dies aged 66
A moment of silence was held at the Philsports Arena to honor the former Gerflor coach — and that moment left Dionela in tears.
“Kanina, ‘yung moment of silence napanood ko sa live, talagang hindi ko naiwasan maiyak kasi high school pa lang ako, kilala ko na si coach Sam,” the Foxies libero said.
“I respect him a lot. Ang dami naming pinagdaanan. Naging coach siya ng kuya ko, naging coach ko sa Cignal, sa national team. Nakakalungkot kasi isa talaga siya sa mga (may) malaking impact sa career ko.”
Both Dionela and Acaylar were among the original title-winning pillars of the University of Perpetual Help Lady Altas volleyball program.
They would cross paths in club volleyball anew, as Acaylar first led the HD Spikers' - Dionela's team of 11 years - pioneering cast in the defunct Philippine Superliga and then in the 2015 AVC Asian Senior Women’s Championship with the Philippine women's volleyball national team.
The most important lesson Acaylar taught Dionela in her career through all the years? Loyalty.
Indeded, it is through his helping hand that so many players in the college ranks and the pros were able to find their place in the sport.
“Si coach Sam, knowing him, talagang loyal siya sa mga players niya. Kung nasaan niya, gusto niyang dalhin niya talaga ‘yung mga players niya du’n,” Dionela said.
“Ang dami niyang na-influence na mga players and isa talaga siya sa mga well-known and well-respected sa volleyball community."
“Marami siya na-inspire, marami siya natulungan na players, honestly. Marami siyang mga nadala dito sa PVL from previous leagues. And sa college, andami niyang ibinigay niya championship sa Perpetual.”
Now, it becomes her life’s mission to honor the legacy and guiding light Acaylar left to the game he loved most.
As she put it, “Sobrang laking loss. Naramdaman ko, kanina nga naiyak ako, pero ganun talaga ang buhay, it's a circle of life, kaya hopefully, ma-honor namin ‘yung iniwan niyang legacy.”
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