FRESH off its second UAAP men’s basketball championship in the last four seasons, the University of the Philippines turns its attention to building a winning volleyball program with the additions of league scoring record holder Casiey Dongallo and assistant coach Doc Obet Vital to the women’s team.
READ: Casiey Dongallo no longer with UE Lady Warriors
The 19-year-old star spiker will be joined by her fellow California Academy (CAL) standouts Jelai Gajero, Kizzie Madriaga, and Jenalyn Umayam to Diliman where they will first undergo one-year residency before suiting up for the Fighting Maroons in Season 88.
Vital, their longtime CAL mentor, is set to serve dual roles as one of head coach Benson Bocboc’s deputies, while also overseeing State U's newly-formalized training pool and planned grassroots program to ensure long-term contention.
He is no stranger to building volleyball programs from the ground up with decades of experience as both educator and shot-caller in CAL, before his brief interim head coaching stint last year with University of the East.
UP Fight on the taraflex
Such key additions are UP’s statements of intent to the volleyball community in a bid to build a serious and competitive program that can soon figure in the title fight.
"It's about time na palakasin din natin ang volleyball teams natin because they have great potential to be another source for unity ng UP community," said UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development Dir. Bo Perasol.
"We welcome the entry of Doc Obet and his players 'di lang para palakasin ang WVT, (women's volleyball team), but to also show that we're turning serious about competing in volleyball.”
Fighting Maroons volleyball program director Oliver Almadro added, noting the continued contribution of main backer Strong Group Athletics (SGA), “Their arrival is a sign that Mr. Frank Lao, SGA, and OASD are really sincere in developing the UP volleyball program. Their addition to our roster, together with our recruits this year, will definitely make our team a contender in the following years.”
State U just saw its men's basketball team morph from laughingstock to champion thanks to the arrival of brilliant tactician Goldwin Monteverde, as well as his slew of promising prospects in the likes of Carl Tamayo, Harold Alarcon, and Gerry Abadiano, as well as talented transferees in Malick Diouf and JD Cagulangan.
Now, the maroon-and-green hopes to do the same for its volleyball program which last won it all, whether women's or men's, in the 1980s.
Completing the rest of the UP’s latest class of recruits are Kianne Olango, Yesha Noceja, Bienne Bansil, and one-and-done ace Kassy Doering, who’ll be under the leadership of Bocboc, Vital, and new assistant coach Alohi Robins-Hardy.
With two-time second best middle blocker Niña Ytang at the forefront, the Fighting Maroons are out to end an eight-year Final Four drought in the oncoming Season 87 and establish themselves as a fixture in future title races.
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