WITH all he has accomplished in 27 seasons at La Salle, Ramil de Jesus still carries one haunting memory into every championship run.
UAAP Season 76 never left him.
More than a decade since the Lady Spikers squandered a thrice-to-beat advantage against Ateneo after sweeping the elimination round, de Jesus admitted that collapse still lingers in his mind, as he yet again stands on the cusp of a perfect season.
“Sinasabi ko nga lagi sa kanila na ‘yung Season 76, bangungot sa team ‘yun eh, ‘yung panahon ni Aby [Marano],” he said following their title series-opening win against National U on Wednesday.
READ: La Salle leaves no doubt in taking Game 1 vs National U
“Na-sweep namin ‘yung elimination and then ‘yung Ateneo, talagang tumapang nu’ng dulo.”
Since then, that painful lesson has shaped the way the winningest coach in UAAP women’s volleyball approaches title runs.
This year’s La Salle squad mirrored that same dominant start, ripping through the eliminations with 14 straight victories before reaching the finals.
But unlike before, de Jesus made sure his players understood that perfection before the championship round means nothing if they fail to finish with, well, the championship.
At the heart of it all is sustaining the same discipline and hunger that got them there in the first place.
“Every year, sinasabi ko lang sa kanila na kung sinuman ‘yung champion, ‘yun ‘yung paghahandaan natin,” he said.
“Ito na, ito na ‘yung situation, ito na ‘yung pagkakataon na makabalik kami at makaharap ulit namin ‘yung NU, so sana panindigan na.”
Brooms out
For de Jesus, who is now coaching in his 22nd finals with 12 championships already under his belt, experience has taught him one thing above all: getting there is never enough.
“Hindi naman lahat, nabibigyan ng opportunity makapag-finals. Nandito na tayo, kaya sabi ko, kailangang pangatawanan na natin,” he said.
Now one win away from ending the Lady Spikers' three-year title drought in perfect run fashion, RDJ once again has the broom in hand.
Only this time, he wants to make it's not their championship hopes that bite the dust.
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