WHILE La Salle’s UAAP Season 88 now looks like a dominant march to the title, Ramil de Jesus insists the sweep was never something the Lady Spikers saw coming.
Not even close.
Twenty-two years since his last outright sweep from the eliminations to the championship, the winningest coach in volleyball admitted there were several moments this season where a perfect run looked impossible.
“Wala kaming ine-expect na ganun eh. Basta sabi ko, laro lang kung sino makatapat natin. ‘Yung eliminations, hindi namin in-expect na masi-sweep namin eh,” he said.
From the outside, La Salle’s 16-0 title run appeared clinical and commanding.
Inside the huddle, however, de Jesus saw a squad repeatedly surviving games that could have easily swung the other way.
None stood out more than the Lady Spikers’ second round win over University of Santo Tomas, where they stormed back from an eight-point third set deficit to preserve what eventually became their ninth straight victory.
That comeback, according to RDJ, was when he began believing something greater might be afoot.
“May mga games na alanganin manalo. ‘Yung game namin sa UST, ‘yung 20-12, maitatawid mo pa ba ‘yun?” he said.
“Sabi ko, hindi na tayo ‘yun, meron na tayong kakampi dyan. Kasama na natin ang nasa Itaas nyan.”
La Salle, not actually the title favorite?
And alongside an apparent assist from a higher being, his 13th trophy was made more rewarding because, in his eyes, the green-and-white actually entered the season with a thinner roster compared to rivals like then-defending champion National U.
From the view of the ever-perfectionist, a La Salle side heavily reliant on its veteran core of Angel Canino, Shevana Laput, Amie Provido, and Lyka De Leon had little margin for error.
READ: Wait, Canino, Laput, Provido's future apparently still unsure
“Alam ko namang manipis ‘yung team ko ngayon, hindi sobrang lalim ng bench namin, so makikita niyo naman na iilan lang ang umiikot na players diyan. Hindi katulad ng NU na kahit sinong gamitin mo, talagang pwede eh,” he said.
“Itong naitawid namin na ito, haping-happy ako kasi kahit ganito lang yung team namin, konti lang ang pwedeng mapaikot, naitawid namin sa finals.”
In the end, whether through resilience, experience, or what de Jesus described as help from above, the Lady Spikers turned what once felt impossible into one of the most dominant championships the league has ever seen.
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