There is always light at the end of the tunnel for the girls in Diliman.
“Dapat ‘pag lumalaban kami, may puso,” said senior middle blocker Niña Ytang. “Sa lahat ng laro, may laban.”
And this mindset brought her and the team a much-needed recovery win against the defending champions.
Bouncing back from its straight-sets loss against the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers, the University of the Philippines (UP) Women’s Volleyball Team (WVT) once again handed the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs their first loss of the season in a five-set thriller, 16-25, 16-25, 25-22, 31-29, 18-16, on Feb. 28 at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The UP WVT last achieved this feat in Round 2 of Season 87, where the team also preached having a ‘Laban UP’ mindset and teamwork as the key to victory.
READ: Teamwork made the dream work: UP WVT snaps NU win streak
Fists down
Getting rid of the tear stains from the previous game against La Salle was UP’s first hurdle in its duel against the back-to-back champions.
State U faced an early-season setback after bowing down to the Lady Spikers, 12-25, 15-25, 19-25, on Feb. 25 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Unable to ride on its winning momentum heading into the match, UP failed to repeat its five-set upset over the Taft-based squad last season.
Down by as many as 10 in the third set, the Maroon Volleybelles narrowed La Salle’s margin in the third set with a four-point run but could not take the lead, sending the match to Taft’s favor, 19-25.
Despite efforts to trim down DLSU’s lead, a strong defensive showing from the Lady Spikers limited the Maroon gunners’ offensive efforts, with no player from UP breaching the double-digit scoring mark.
Dongallo led the scoreboard for State U with six attacks while Gajero, Irah Jaboneta and Ytang trailed behind with only four markers each.
Getting back UP
Tough challenges call for tougher decisions, not complacent ones.
“Galing kami sa talo. ‘Yong confidence namin, masiyadong mababa kaya nahirapan kami sa first and second set,” said senior Ytang in the post-game press conference. “Pero kailangang mag-show up kasi amin ’to. Atin ‘to.”
And the team was all-in on responding to the challenge as it faced the Lady Bulldogs.
UP WVT and Coach Fabio Menta made several adjustments, including converting Jaboneta into a libero to anchor the team’s floor defense.
The veteran responded to her new role on the court, recording a total of 13 excellent digs and 16 excellent receptions that helped orchestrate the Fighting Maroons’ offense.
Team captain Joan Monares also saw action for the first time in Season 88, contributing five points early in the match after missing their first three games due to a back injury.
Meanwhile, setter Kizzie Madriaga stepped up for the Diliman-based squad’s playmaking, tallying a total of 17 excellent sets after being brought in during the second salvo.
State U initially struggled to find its rhythm, dropping the first two sets as it committed a total of 15 errors.
Midway through the third set, the tides turned to UP’s favor when Gajero capped a long rally with a decisive kill, sparking a UP run and igniting Ytang and Dongallo as the trio combined for 15 points in that set alone to extend the match.
Refusing to go home just yet, the Fighting Maroons battled through a grueling 40-minute set, clawing back from a 21-24 deficit to win the fourth, 31-29, and force a decider.
Down by as many as five points in the fifth, Gajero and Ytang once again stepped up with consecutive kills for a 5-1 surge, closing off the gap and tying the score, 14-14.
Sophomore middle blocker and former Lady Bullpup Bienne Bansil closed out the match for State U, blocking NU’s Kaye Bombita at the pin and following it with an attack at the middle, finishing the match, 18-16.
In the post-game interview, Dongallo reflected on the team’s mindset heading into the final set.
“Andito na kami. Wala naman mawawala sa’min kung ibigay namin lahat. Nag-push lang kami hanggang dulo,” she said.
Ytang echoed the sentiment in an interview with Tinig ng Plaridel, noting that what they lacked in their previous outing was the grit they showed this time around.
“Noong last game ‘yon po ‘yong naging kulang talaga namin, […] ‘yong puso at tapang sa court, kaya we have to continue [doing] that.”
UP Head Coach Fabio Menta emphasized that the team possesses the skill and the intelligence but must execute consistently until the final whistle.
“They know what time the game starts, but they don’t know what time it [finishes],” the tactician said. “Now we finally embrace the idea that we have to go hard up to the last ball and succeed.”
Dongallo and Gajero led the Fighting Maroons’ scoring sheet with 20 and 19 points, respectively, while Ytang contributed 18 points off 10 attacks, seven blocks and an ace.
Team captain Vange Alinsug paced the Lady Bulldogs with 20 points off 16 attacks and four aces.
The Fighting Maroons will look to sustain their winning ways as they face the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws on Sunday, March 8, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
