LA SALLE head coach Ramil de Jesus has produced more than just volleyball stars during his nearly three decades with the Lady Spikers.
Some of his former players have also gone on to become coaches.
One of them is Regine Diego, whom de Jesus recently faced across the net in the UAAP Season 88 women's volleyball tournament.
READ: How RDJ built La Salle's UAAP S88 rookie revolution from scratch
A four-time UAAP champion libero with the Lady Spikers, Diego has since moved into coaching and is now among the few female head coaches in the collegiate ranks.
She previously took over the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers in the PVL after de Jesus stepped down before the team eventually disbanded in 2023.
In their first meeting this season, however, the master still got the better of his apprentice.
De Jesus steered La Salle to a 25-21, 25-19, 19-25, 25-18 win over Diego’s National University side, allowing the Lady Spikers to complete the first round with a perfect 7–0 record.
Despite the result, RDJ said seeing a former player like Diego take on a larger role in the sport is something he takes pride in, particularly with the scarcity of women in the local coaching ranks.
“Natutuwa ako sa kanya kasi isa [siya sa] naunang babae na mag-coach dito sa UAAP, siguro bukod kina Ma’am Dulce Pante ng Adamson,” de Jesus said.
“Nakatuwa kasi galing [siya] sa akin, and then ngayon, coach ng isang champion team.”
Facing a former player as a coach is also an opportunity for him to see firsthand how the formative experiences and core values from during their time in La Salle have carried over into their coaching philosophy.
“’Yung paghaharap namin, siguro isang bagay ’yun na makita ko sa kanya ’yung mga natutunan niya nung player pa siya,” he said.
“Marami rin naman siyang ideas and natutuwa ako dahil very competitive ’yung team niya bilang defending champion.
“Hopefully, mas makilala niya pa ’yung team kasi bago lang din siya du’n at mas mapagalaw niya pa ’yung mga tao.”
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