There is always a flicker of fight in Diliman, even when the odds begin to dim.
With its Final Four hopes already out of reach, the University of the Philippines (UP) Men’s Volleyball Team (MVT) still came out swinging but ultimately saw its campaign wind down in a straight-set loss, 23-25, 18-25, 17-25, to the top-seed Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws on Sunday, April 12, at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion.
In the face of a closing campaign, outgoing senior Clarence Santiago remained anchored in purpose, determined to maximize what remains of the season for both himself and his teammates.
“Since nawalan na kami ng chance to enter [the] Final Four, ‘yong mindset ko na lang talaga is to play my best. Last two games na nga lang eh [kaya] talagang ‘pag pinasok ako, all out,” Santiago said in an interview with Tinig ng Plaridel.
Santiago steered State U’s offense throughout the match, tallying nine excellent sets to go along with two attacks and an ace.
Playing beyond the standings
Now out of Final Four contention, the UP MVT turns its focus on growth and character, with Santiago embracing the role of guiding the next core forward.
“[Ang] mas pinagfo-focusan ko actually sa training is kung ano ‘yong maiiwan ko sa mga bata. Gusto naming makapag-lead by example na sila, ‘di sila [rookies] ‘yong forever magiging follower,” he said.
Looking ahead, Santiago emphasized the need for consistency and stronger passing as the team prepares for its remaining games this season.
“[S]iguro ayusin muna namin kung ano ‘yong lapses namin today. ‘Yon ‘yong iwo-work namin, especially sa passing namin kasi doon kami nakaka-create ng opportunity [to score],” the senior setter said. “So if wala siya, mas nahihirapan kami and mas bumababa rin ‘yong confidence ng mga bata.”
Promising start, tough finish
The Fighting Maroons immediately showed intent in the opening set, with maroon middle blockers Angelo Lipata and Erick Perjes stamping their presence at the net through consecutive defensive stops on FEU standout Dryx Saavedra to ignite an early 3-2 lead.
State U maintained control midway through the set, building a five-point cushion at 20-15 but a costly 1-5 slump allowed FEU to catch up.
UP held on to a 21-20 lead before Charles Absin and Amet Bituin sparked the late surge for the Tamaraws, and setter Ariel Cacao finished it off with a block on Tommy Castrodes at 23-25. ??
Trying to rediscover its footing in the second, the Diliman-based squad kept pace early at 4-all before FEU unleashed a 0-7 run behind Saavedra’s back-to-back aces.
Down by as many as 10 points at 8-18, Team captain Olayemi Raheem attempted to cut the deficit with a 3-0 run. But with UP’s continued struggle on floor defense, they weren’t able to catch up, dropping another set to the Morayta-based squad at 18-25.
Hoping to extend the match, the maroon shirts kept FEU within striking distance in the third at 5-6, with Raheem’s early three points and an ace from playmaker Santiago.
But a combination of service pressure and errors continued to plague the Maroons, pushing them into a 13-20 hole, ultimately falling to the Tamaraws, 17-25, despite late catch-up attempts from Raheem and Castrodes.
Raheem led the Diliman side with 15 points built on 14 attacks and an ace, while Castrodes backed him up with nine markers.
Meanwhile, Absin and Lirick Mendoza stood tall for FEU, chipping in 11 and nine points, respectively.
With pride as their driving force, the Fighting Maroons now gear up for a crucial test against the Adamson Soaring Falcons on Wednesday, April 15, at the same venue, in what stands as their penultimate game of the season: a chance to reset and redefine how they finish their campaign.
