To say that the ongoing UAAP Season 87 has been a wild ride for the UP Women’s Volleyball Team (WVT) would be an understatement.
Heading into their second-round matchup against De La Salle University on April 13, the team held a 5-6 card for solo fifth in the standings.
The Lady Spikers, led by MVP frontrunners Angel Canino and Shevana Laput, were the clear favorites. A loss for the Fighting Maroons seemed all but inevitable, which would have knocked them out of Final Four contention.
But if there was anyone who knew how to neutralize the vaunted system of the green and white, it was the man who helped make it work for nearly a decade: Benson Bocboc.
Earlier this season, Bocboc steered the maroon shirts to what many dubbed the upset of the season against defending champions National University (NU).
Last Sunday, the first-year head coach had the gut feeling they could pull off another surprise— this time, against his former team.
“Kanina sa dugout, sabi ko sa kanila, ‘May nararamdaman ako. Baka ito na ‘yung araw na makakakuha tayo ng panalo,”’ he shared in the post-game press conference.
“Sabi ko, ‘Kilala natin ‘yung players sa kabila. Makinig lang kayo kung anong gagawin ninyo,’” he added.
Bocboc’s instincts proved right as the Fighting Maroons eked out a nail-biting 26-24, 18-25, 19-25, 25-22, 16-14 victory over the Lady Spikers at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The five-set classic, which lasted for a little over two hours, marked UP’s first win against La Salle since their second-round encounter in Season 81.
Beyond intuition, Bocboc credited the players for sticking to and executing the coaches’ game plan, an edge gained from his familiarity with the opponents’ system.
“Compared sa ibang mga kalaban, mas marami silang nakuhang information sa La Salle. Ang reminder ko lang naman sa kanila is they focus on their own. Kapag dumating sila sa situation na familiar sila, alam na nila gagawin nila,” said the former La Salle deputy. “May mga parts na nawawala [sila] sa plano, pero bumabalik naman. Basta susunod lang sila.”
On the brink of defeat several times, UP had to dig deep to overcome La Salle and keep their postseason chances alive.
Down 21-24 in the opening set, the Fighting Maroons launched a 5-0 run, capped by Kianne Olango’s service ace and Joan Monares’ crosscourt hit, to seize the upper hand.
They found themselves in trouble again in the fourth set, trailing 15-17, before Jaz Manguilimotan fired back-to-back aces to tie the score and shift the momentum in UP’s favor.
Victory seemed within reach for the Fighting Maroons as they enjoyed two match points in the decider, but Canino came through in the clutch to force a deuce.
That was the last time the Lady Spikers got on the scoreboard as Kassy Doering went for a tip in the next sequence and Monares—just as she did against NU—sealed the win with a down-the-line hit.
“I’m grateful na pinagkakatiwalaan ako ng teammates ko,” Monares said. “Malaking bagay ‘yun para sa akin na ibibigay sa akin ‘yung last [set], and as much as possible, gagawin siyang puntos.”
“It has always been the dream ng team na makapasok sa Final Four. Sobrang tagal na ng last season na pumasok ang UP [sa semifinals], so ‘yun ‘yung gusto naming abutin ngayon,” she added.
Manguilimotan, the rookie setter, had her best outing yet with 24 excellent sets to go along with 3 markers. Several Maroons finished in double figures, including Doering, who delivered 5 of her season-best 15 points in the decider.
Irah Jaboneta and Yesha Capistrano emerged as unsung heroes, combining for 34 excellent digs and 32 excellent receptions to hold down the defensive end.
As expected, Laput and Canino carried the scoring cudgels for the Lady Spikers with a combined 52 points.
As of writing, the UP WVT remains in fifth place, just two wins and one loss behind Far Eastern University. The team must now sweep its games against the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and Adamson University to stay in the playoff race.
Bocboc, for his part, said they will push even harder for their first Final Four appearance since Season 78.
“Sa [mga] remaining games namin, wala naman mapipili doon. Lahat ‘yun contenders. Wala kaming choice kundi mag-push lang nang mag-push lalo at patapos na,” said Bocboc. “Hopefully, mapagbigyan at makaabot ng top four. Kung may tiyansa, tingnan natin, pero lalaban tayo hanggang dulo.”
The maroon shirts will enter the Holy Week break before testing their mettle against UST on April 23 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
