Hinding-hindi magpapahuli.
This line is not just a battle cry but a summary of how the University of the Philippines (UP) Women’s Volleyball Team (WVT) carried itself through Season 88.
With expectations shaped by the team’s Season 87 upsets, the reality of their campaign proved tougher: fourteen matches, seven opposing universities, injuries and role adjustments that tested them match after match.
Even when the long-sought-after Final Four appearance became out of reach and the finish settled at sixth place, the maroon volleybelles’ identity did not fade.
In a season plagued by setbacks outside their control, the UP WVT refused to fall out of contention without putting up a good fight.
Through ups and downs
Progress isn’t always linear and not all journeys to the top are steady.
Season 88 was seen as one of the best chances for State U to return to the Final Four, with seniors Irah Jaboneta, Niña Ytang and Joan Monares opting to play another year for UP, alongside reinforcements who had just completed their residency.
But as the season unfolded, things did not go as planned.
The campaign began with team captain Joan Monares sidelined due to a back injury, while five other players dealt with various injuries.
Despite these early obstacles, the Fighting Maroons opened their campaign with a strong 2-0 start, defeating the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors in four sets and pulling off a reverse sweep against the Ateneo Blue Eagles that ended an 11-game losing streak.
After a hot start to their campaign, UP faced its first major test of the season against De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers. But State U bounced back with a statement win over defending champions National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, marking their second consecutive year of handing NU its first loss of the season.
The Maroon Volleybelles completed a stunning reverse sweep against the Lady Bulldogs with Casiey Dongallo, Jelai Gajero and Ytang combining for 57 points. While Jaboneta, who had been converted into a libero for the first time this season, recorded a double-double with 13 digs and 16 excellent receptions.
Just as momentum began to build for the maroons, disaster struck.
Dongallo suffered a bad landing in their loss to the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws, resulting in an ACL injury that ruled her out for the rest of the season. The loss of one winger forced Monares, initially expected to return full-time in the second round, to step in earlier than planned.
State U showed flashes of resilience, including a strong opening against the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses, with Jaboneta back in a spiker role to cover for Dongallo, but the team struggled to sustain consistency and eventually lost in four sets.
In their first round finale against the Adamson Lady Falcons, UP head coach Fabio Menta made multiple position changes, moving Ytang from the middle to the opposite side, shifting Jaboneta back to libero and opposite hitter Kianne Olango to the left pin.
The adjustments proved costly as the Maroon Volleybelles fell prey to Adamson in straight sets.
By the end of the first round, UP held a 3-4 record, matching last season’s output but under far more challenging circumstances.
Holding the line
The second round began with hope still intact, though there was little room for mistakes.
In their opener, UP once again pushed the defending champions to five sets, proving they could still challenge the league’s titleholder even without Dongallo. While they dealt with another defeat, their Final Four hopes remained alive.
UP then recovered with a bounce-back win over the UE Lady Warriors but once again struggled against the undefeated DLSU Lady Spikers before heading into the Holy Week break.
The Fighting Maroons kept their semifinal hopes alive after a sweep of Ateneo, with the team recording a total of 16 blocks: seven from Gajero, five from Bansil, three from Ytang and one from Jaboneta.
But momentum did not last.
State U dropped its next three matches against FEU, Adamson, and UST, eventually ending its Final Four bid.
Still, individual performances stood out in defeat, as Ytang delivered a season-high 19 points, Olango chipped in 15, while Gajero and Bansil contributed 14 markers apiece in the team’s final push against the Lady Tamaraws.
The challenges for the Maroon Volleybelles were far from over as head coach Menta stepped away from coaching duties due to health reasons and assistant coach Aleksi Lahteenmaki took over for the team’s remaining two matches.
With slim chances left, the Fighting Maroons fought to stay in the race in their penultimate match of the elimination rounds, but Adamson secured the third semifinal spot with a straight-set victory over the Maroon jerseys.
UP’s fate was sealed at sixth place as the team officially ended its Season 88 campaign with a heartbreaking four-set loss to the UST Golden Tigresses, settling with a 5-9 slate.
One last ‘ikot’
In their farewell match in the collegiate league, Ytang tallied 19 points off 18 attacks and a block while Jaboneta logged a triple-double of 16 points, 11 digs and 17 excellent receptions.
Despite being sidelined almost throughout the season, Monares reflected on how the UP WVT learned to accept circumstances beyond their control and adapt as a team.
“I think there are things that we can’t control,” She said in the post-game press conference. “[Kahit] mayroon mang unfortunate events or mga nangyari, we tried to work things around with the resources we have, with the people we have.”
For Monares, her role shifted into guiding the team from the bench, serving as a steady presence for the younger players.
“Minsan, we have to remind them kung ano dapat gawin, ‘yong system [at] ‘yong plays,” she said in an interview with Tinig ng Plaridel. “[I] try to calm them down when emotions are high [and] lower the intensity para makapag-reset and makapaglaro nang maayos.”
Although the Fighting Maroons fell short of a semifinal berth in her final year, three-time best middle blocker Ytang expressed nothing but gratitude for her journey with the team.
“Dati, pangarap ko lang po kasi makapag-aral nang libre tapos nandito ako [ngayon] sa UP [para] maglaro. Sa mga past coaches po namin, sa limang coaches [Godfrey Okumu, Shaq delos Santos, Oliver Almadro, Benson Bocboc and Fabio Menta] po namin, ang dami po nilang itinuro sa amin,” the decorated middle blocker said in the post-game press conference.
“Grateful talaga po ako sa UP. Binuo niyo po ako, binuo niyo po kami. And lagi ko pong dadalhin ‘yong pagmamahal ko po para sa UP, para sa UAAP,” she added.
Jaboneta reflected on the team’s rise over her five years with the maroon and green, particularly the growth of the UP community behind them.
“Na-witness nga namin na parang pagpasok mo ng arena [dati], iilan lang sila, iilan lang ‘yong nakasuot ng maroon. Pero ngayon, like [noong] mga past [few] seasons, unti-unting dumadami na sila. Sobrang saya namin na kahit aalis kami, nakikita namin na nandiyan sila talaga na nagsu-support.”
Monares echoed the same sentiment, recalling how they witnessed the program’s growth firsthand.
“Mahirap for us, but ang dami naming natutuhan. Every year, [mayroong] bagong coach [at] a new system. And I think that’s what made us really strong,” she said.
Over the past five years, the maroon seniors battled through ups and downs, most notably during Ytang, Jaboneta and Monares’ sophomore year in Season 85, where they experienced mismanagement from their former team manager.
Amid all the hurdles that defined their collegiate volleyball careers, the seniors said their choice to stay was still worth it.
“[H]indi man ‘yon ‘yong ginusto namin maging result, meron pa rin po kaming natutuhan. [S]inubukan namin lumaban sa lahat ng laro namin.,” Ytang said.
“[W]alang pagsisisi na bumalik at maglaro for UP kahit hindi namin nakuha ‘yong outcome. Kasi ako personally, marami akong natutuhan talaga. Kasi sa limang coaches, ‘yon palang [ay] plus point na ‘yon as a player. Kasi, iba-ibang sistema, iba-ibang experiences na-adapt namin and natuto kami kung paano ‘yon i-work and kung paano i-accept,” Jaboneta added.
As the final whistle blew on Season 88, it marked more than just the end of a campaign for UP WVT; it was the closing of an era.
It was the last ikot for Ytang, Jaboneta and Monares in maroon and green, leaving behind a legacy of resilience, growth and a team that vows to embody its mantra: “hinding-hindi magpapahuli.”
Ytang and Jaboneta are set to take the next step in their careers as they declare for the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) draft, while Monares remains uncertain about her plans.
UP WVT ROUND 2 SET SCORES:
vs NU (2-3): 26-24, 17-25, 25-21, 18-25, 8-15
vs UE (3-0): 25-21, 25-15, 25-14
vs DLSU (0-3): 15-25, 18-25, 20-25
vs ADMU (3-0): 25-20, 25-14, 25-23
vs FEU (1-3): 21-25, 25-22, 19-25, 22-25
vs ADU (0-3): 19-25, 18-25, 16-25
vs UST (1-3): 25-23, 21-25, 22-25, 19-25
