The University of the Philippines (UP) Men’s Volleyball Team (MVT) ended its five-game rut after solving the winning puzzle against the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 25-20, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, March 22.
Learning from their string of losses, the Maroon jerseys stepped up their game by turning mistakes into lessons.
“We don’t regret it. We want those mistakes to happen,” head coach Carlo Cabatingan said during the post-game press conference. “‘Yon din naman [ang] instruction sa kanila, that we want to invest in learning right now.”
Tommy Castrodes provided the strength State U needed, showing up in crucial moments that gave them the edge against the Red Warriors.
He recorded a double-double performance with 15 points built from 14 attacks and one block, as well as 13 excellent receptions and seven digs.
“Tapang lang. Kaya nga sinabi ni coach, we focus on the process then sa skills,” said the sophomore spiker. “May mga games pa naman, ‘di pa tapos ‘yong laro namin.”
With their coach’s guidance, the UP MVT put in the work to improve and condition themselves in dealing with losses.
“Mag-doble kayod sa training kasi sabi nga ni coach, ‘Anong gusto niyo, maghirap sa training or maghirap sa laro?’ Siyempre, pipiliin mong maghirap sa training kasi kailangan mong i-challenge ‘yong self mo,” said middle blocker Milven Francisco. “Pag na-conquer mo ‘yong mga challenges na ’yon, magiging madali na ‘yon sa game.”
Team captain Olayemi Raheem echoed the same mindset in an interview with Tinig ng Plaridel.
“We just had to look deep into ourselves and play the game in a way [that] the game [should be] played and [ask ourselves:] ‘Do we really want to win?’” he said.
State U tried to find its footing in the first set, as it traded points with UE. The Red Warriors’ committed errors allowed the Diliman-based squad to snatch the first set, 25-22.
The Maroon jerseys played catch-up in the second set until a late timeout sparked a 4-0 run to bring the score to a 21-all deadlock. But an error from the Diliman-based squad handed over the second set to the Red Warriors, 23-25.
UP MVT found renewed rigor in the third salvo with a 3-0 run to gain an 18-15 advantage. UE sparked a run of its own to an 18-all deadlock, but its errors eventually gave UP the 2-1 advantage.
Gaining momentum from the previous set, the Diliman-based squad took advantage of UE’s 12 service errors, including the one that closed out the game, 25-20, in favor of the Maroons.
Their teamwork proved to be fruitful with only 19 errors, compared to UE’s 32.
Raheem held the fort for the Maroon jerseys, rallying 20 points off 17 attacks and three blocks, while Francisco and Angelo Lipata chipped in 11 and eight markers, respectively.
On the other side of the court, Roy Piojo rallied the Recto-based squad with 25 points while Raquim Aceron added 17.
State U looks to stay in the win column as it faces the De La Salle University Green Spikers on Sunday, March 29, at the University of the Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion.
