LET one thing be clear about the University of the Philippines’ four-set takedown of last year’s Final Four contender Far Eastern University: it wasn’t just luck.
READ: UP eclipses win total last year after four-set stunner over FEU
“It took a lot of hard work din for the team. ‘Yung panalo na ‘to, hindi siya tsamba kasi pinaghandaan talaga namin ‘to,” top-scoring winger Joan Monares said after her 19-point, eight-dig night.
“Naghirap kami sa training kasi gusto talaga naming ipanalo ‘to (against FEU).”
It took three full years for the Fighting Maroons to finally get one over their Morayta counterparts in UAAP women’s volleyball.
Back in Season 84, the maroon-and-green once had it in them to complete the season sweep over the Lady Tamaraws before things went south, as two one-win campaigns followed.
And so, what weighed the most in State U's win tonight was how its first 2-0 start in three years already eclipsed its one-win total in each of Seasons 85 and 86.
Putting the 'fight' in UP Fight
For head coach Benson Bocboc, who was gifted two early wins in his head coaching debut, there’s just something different about UP’s fighting spirit this time around - they don’t seem to mind throwing their bodies around in every play just to keep that ball up in the air.
“Nakakatuwa sa mga younger generations na upcoming, talagang wala silang pakialam kung masaktan sila, basta maitaas 'yung bola,” Bocboc said.
“Sa tingin ko, natural sila. Pagdating ko, 'di naman ako nahirapan kasi humahabol talaga sila ng bola at dumedepensa talaga sila […] Minsan, (may mga) nakakalimutan, pero nire-remind lang natin sila sa labas. In general, nakakabalik naman.”
The way Bocboc puts it, the Fighting Maroons showed one thing tonight that he hopes they’ll keep bringing out throughout the tournament.
“‘Di sila bumigay. Sana hindi na sila bumigay.”
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