MANILA, Philippines— There’s nothing like home — except maybe Manila.
For Team USA skipper Micah Christenson, the Philippines has always been a special destination. And after their campaign in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship ended in the quarterfinals, he carried a mix of emotions in his heart.
As one of the crowd favorites who consistently drew throngs of fans to their matches, Christenson has never wavered in showing his gratitude for the Filipino supporters.
“I think I’ve been able to say it a lot these past few weeks throughout this tournament — it was always a wonderful experience to come here and play in front of the Filipino fans,” he said.
“Obviously, we wanted to play a little more volleyball, but we’re very grateful for the moments that we’ve had here in this tournament,” he added.
Team USA was eliminated by fellow crowd favorite Bulgaria in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Poland, Italy, Bulgaria, and Czechia will battle for the last two spots in the championship round on Saturday night before competing for the title on Sunday, September 28 — the final day of the tournament.
Team USA officially finished fifth — one notch higher than its sixth-place finish in the 2022 edition.
