SHAQ delos Santos is back in charge in España.
The last coach to lead University of Santo Tomas to a UAAP women’s volleyball title 15 years ago will re-take the reins for the Golden Tigresses come Season 88.
READ: Detdet Pepito, Jonna Perdido playing one more year with UST Tigresses
As per the UST Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA), delos Santos will hold the school’s head coaching post again concurrent to his duties as lead shot-caller of the Cignal HD Spikers in the PVL.
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This also comes as part of the black-and-gold’s bid to restore lost glory and replicate that Season 72 title run under delos Santos’ leadership.
Following his departure from the team in 2011, Coach Shaq returned to the Golden Tigresses' lair as part of outgoing head coach Kungfu Reyes’ staff over the last two seasons where they were also joined by another UST alumna and Galeries Tower head coach Lerma Giron.
His role for the team in Seasons 86 and 87 was to fortify their defensive presence at the net, focusing on their pool of middle blockers which included Pia Abbu, Em Banagua, Mae Coronado, Bianca Plaza and Blessing Unekwe.
End of an era
Meanwhile, Reyes' decade-long tenure with the Golden Tigresses will come to an end — one capped by two runner-up finishes in Seasons 81 and 86.
He will remain a fixture for UST volleyball as program director for the women’s and girls’ teams, as well as retaining his head coaching role with the latter.
A Thomasian through and through, Reyes was a longtime deputy for his alma mater's girls' team since 2004 under Francis Vicente before taking over the reins in 2013 en route to four juniors' championships.
Come Season 78 in 2015, he was appointed as head coach of the women's team where he'd replace now-men's head coach Odjie Mamon.
Now under delos Santos' wing again come the UST-hosted Season 88 women's volleyball tournament, UST will have the returning Detdet Pepito and Jonna Perdido along with key aces Angge Poyos, Reg Jurado and Cassie Carballo among many others in yet another bid to finally bring the crown back to España.
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