After a dream start in UAAP Season 87, the UP Women’s Volleyball Team (WVT) has once again found itself in painfully familiar territory: a losing streak.
This comes as the Fighting Maroons tallied their second straight loss in four outings against the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers on Mar. 2 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The 22-25, 26-24, 18-25, 17-25 defeat also extended the team’s losing skid against La Salle to six, dating back to Season 81 in 2018.
Despite the setbacks, UP WVT head coach Benson Bocboc said there is no need to press the panic button just yet.
“Medyo kinapos kami in certain situations. Next time, ‘yun ‘yung paghahandaan namin. Nagkataon ngayon, La Salle got [the] 3-1 [win], pero I said, ‘Believe,’ you know? [With] this way of play, we can do [so] much,” Bocboc said in the post-game interview.
On Feb. 23, the Fighting Maroons came crashing down from cloud nine after a tough sweep loss against the Ateneo Blue Eagles. Bocboc’s coaching decisions during the game raised some eyebrows when he fielded none of his usual starters in the opening set.
Surprisingly, the numbers guru employed the same tactic against La Salle as he shifted the pieces of his starting unit across four sets. Jaz Manguilimotan and Julia De Leon alternated in playmaking duties, while all four of the team’s middle blockers saw action on the taraflex.
In defense, Bocboc said the recent in-game adjustments were necessary for building his wards’ confidence and optimizing their recovery and performance.
“Walang against ‘yun sa [mga] kalaban namin. I focus on the UP WVT. If I need to build their confidence, I will build their confidence. Kapag hinatak kita diyan, ibinigay ang tiwala ng team sa’yo, dapat ready ka,” said the former La Salle deputy.
“May mga sick [players] sa amin. Sino maglalaro? Hindi pupwedeng pitong players lang. Mahaba ang UAAP. Kadalasan, after the second round, tanggal ng dalawa o tatlong tao dahil injured. Anong gagawin natin? Eh ‘di maglaro lahat,” he added.
Commenting on the recent shuffles in the starting lineup, outside hitter Irah Jaboneta said the players fully understand the vision of the coaching staff.
These adjustments, according to the team veteran, only demonstrate the trust that Bocboc has in his roster.
“Naintindihan namin ano ‘yung plano ng coaches, kung ano ‘yung gusto nilang mangyari,” she shared.
“On behalf of my teammates, ako mismo magsasabi na thankful [kami] sa trust ni Coach [Bocboc], hindi lang sa’ming anim na nagsa-start kundi sa lahat. Kung ganoon nagtitiwala ‘yung coach, it’s up to us kung paano namin [ibabalik].”
Jaboneta repaid her coaches’ trust with an all-around performance of 15 points, 11 receptions and eight digs.
Joan Monares also recorded a near triple-double with 11 points, nine digs and eight receptions, while rookies Kianne Olango and Bienne Bansil added 8 markers in the losing effort.
As of publication, the UP WVT holds a 2-2 win-loss record, an already significant improvement from their one-win finishes in the last two seasons.
With the first round of eliminations winding down, Bocboc hopes his team will take the defeats in stride and work on improving their game.
“Sabi ko nga after the game, sana ‘yung pagkatalo na ‘to, we’ll learn [para] ‘di masayang. Sa mga susunod na laro, ‘pag kayo ang nandiyan, kailangan ipakita niyo kung ano ‘yung kaya niyo kasi kapag ‘di pa rin lumaban, sayang ‘yun,” Bocboc said.
“Lagi ko sinasabi sa kanila, 14 sila [sa team]. I need all 14,” he further stressed.
Jaboneta echoed his coach’s sentiment, saying the team takes solace in the lessons learned from facing a powerhouse team like La Salle.
“Every talo, may natututunan, and masaya kami pa rin sa pinakita namin kasi syempre, pinaghandaan naman namin,” she reflected.
Earlier that day, the UP Men’s Volleyball Team suffered a similar fate as they logged their third consecutive loss of the season against the DLSU Green Spikers, 23-25, 25-13, 26-24, 25-15.
With the defeat, the maroon shirts currently hold a 1-3 card and are now tied with the Adamson Soaring Falcons at sixth place.
Hotshot rookie Olayemi Raheem showcased his offensive prowess once more with 19 points, while Gelay Lagando backstopped his efforts with 11 markers and five digs.
In his first-ever starting nod for the team, rookie setter Louise Aballe dished out 17 excellent sets.
Both teams will look to halt their respective losing slumps as they square off against the University of Santo Tomas today, Mar. 5, at the same venue in Pasay City.
