The Philippines’ quest for a gold medal in the men’s volleyball tournament at the upcoming 32nd Southeast Asian Games just got a boost with the addition of Steven Rotter to the national team.
The Filipino-American opposite spiker, who played two seasons at Long Beach City College and one season with Cal State Northridge, impressed during his debut for the AMC-Cotabato team at the 2023 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference. Rotter finished with nine points in a straight-sets win over Vanguard at the Paco Arena.
According to national team head coach Odjie Mamon, Rotter’s inclusion in the team is a welcome development. “Definitely he’s a scorer, scoring machine rin ‘yan. He can serve, he can attack, and he can block. He’s a welcome addition… There are guys who are willing to play for the flag so hindi kami nag-dalawang isip when he offered to play for the national team,” said Mamon.
Rotter, who is 6-foot-6, said that he is excited to represent the Philippines and help the team achieve its goal of winning a gold medal. “I know that we haven’t achieved a gold medal and that is my goal for this whole thing, to get a gold medal for the Philippines,” he said.
Rotter was discovered during a tryout in California organized by the PNVF, which was looking for talented Filipino-American players who are willing to play for the national team. “My friends sent me a link on Instagram and I was like ‘I have to do this.’ I consider this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said.
Rotter is also grateful to be playing for the Cotabato Spikers’ team, where he can build chemistry and learn from his new teammates. Many of Cotabato’s players are also part of the national team pool.
“When I found out that almost all of my teammates are on the national team, it was kind of surprising. I didn’t expect anyone to be on the same team but I’m glad that they’re my teammates, I’m glad that I’m on this team. I hope to make a better connection with them and maybe learn some Tagalog from them ‘cause I can’t speak a lick of it. But yeah, they’re really good guys,” he said.
