Same system, same hunger to win.
This remains to be the mindset of the University of the Philippines (UP) Men’s Volleyball Team (MVT), following a tough loss to the National University (NU) Bulldogs in straight sets, 26-28, 23-25, 20-25, during their first round matchup on Feb. 28 at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The loss also extended State U’s winless run against NU since Season 79.
Still, the numbers showed a fight.
Rookie Zairus Pacure paced the Fighting Maroons with 12 points built on nine attacks, two blocks and an ace, while veteran Milven Francisco chipped in 10 markers.
Team captain Olayemi Raheem, who has been scoring over 20 points in previous matches this season, was limited to 14 points against the five-peat champions.
Head coach Carlo Cabatingan highlighted maturity and team chemistry as the keys to ending crucial stretches of the match with a win.
“When it comes to endgame situations, those are not really coachable moments. It’s really up to the players how they coach themselves on the court and how they guide one another during those crucial points,” he said in an interview with Tinig ng Plaridel.
Stumble in Sampaloc
While both teams traded errors in the opening set, UP struggled to adjust its defense as NU’s blockers kept their eyes on maroon top scorer Raheem.
Coming off the bench, Pacure converted back-to-back blocks to put the Fighting Maroons at set point in the extended play, 26-25. But the squad’s defensive lapses allowed the Bulldogs to recover as Alas Pilipinas teammates, Michaelo Buddin and Leo Ordiales, delivered the finishing hits, 26-28, to steal the early advantage.
Angelo Lipata sparked a late rally for State U in the second set, followed by two attack points from Raheem and consecutive blocks by rookie Abram Robles to save five set points and cut the six-point deficit to one, 23-24.
However, a service error by Francisco handed NU another close set, 23-25.
Struggling to score in the first two sets, Raheem slowly found his rhythm midway through the third, scoring straight points to cut the four-point deficit to 17-19.
The maroon team captain saved one match point at 20-24, but ultimately lost after the final sequence as NU’s Obed Mukaba denied an attack from Raheem at the net to close out the match, 20-25.
Moving on to Morayta
The match was less about the loss and more about what was revealed in its game, as the UP MVT relied on the same preparation and system used in its previous matchup against La Salle.
“Parang kung ano ‘yong nilaro namin sa La Salle, same lang din. Wala kaming binago sa sistema,” co-captain Kobe Aca-Ac said in an interview with TNP.
Cabatingan said the loss was an encouraging sign that the Fighting Maroons can compete with the league’s top teams, showing promising performance throughout the match by keeping the score close.
“It shows that we can compete on that level. The body and the skill[s] are there,” the tactician said.
Moving forward, the Maroons’ head coach is shifting the team’s focus to details that could turn close games into wins.
“It’s really how they communicate with one another and how they make quick decisions,” he said. “I think the team already knows what to do. It’s just a matter of trusting their instincts about whether it’s the right thing to do and when to do it.”
With the same system and preparation intact, State U aims to bounce back to the win column as it faces the Far Eastern University Tamaraws on Sunday, March 8, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
