THE decision of the University of the East to part with its women's volleyball interim head coach and then releasing at least seven players were not knee-jerk reactions, but the end result of pestering issues that finally boiled over.
READ: Mass exodus from UE WVT as coaches, all but four players let go
Firstly, UE had long refused to honor former head coach Obet Vital's suggestion that Allan Mendoza take over the team. Worse the manner in which the school dealt with its supposed shot-caller for UAAP Season 87 was deemed bordering on cruelty and lack of civility.
According to Mendoza himself, he was allegedly cursed at and a letter purportedly from benefactor Strong Group Athletics (SGA) affirming its support for him as new coach was used to slap him in the face by a school official when he presented it to support his appointment.
Mendoza, apparently, was not the person UE wanted as coach even before the Lady Warriors finished dead last in Season 87 with a 0-14 record. Mendoza, Vital's longtime assistant coach at California Academy (CAL), was being pushed to handle the red-and-white, not only by SGA, but by a majority of players.
The players said that with the new season about to start, it would be difficult to be under a new coach who most likely will introduce a new system. On the other hand, Mendoza will simply apply the same playbook used by Vital with adjustments along the way.
“Pinagmumura nila ako. Hinampas sa’kin yung letter na dala ko at ‘di raw nila kilala si Doc at Ms. Kiara [Cruz] na team manager ng SGA that time for UE,” Mendoza said.
Vital added: “During that time when [Mendoza] gave the [letter], that's exactly the time where they [UE] took the paper and slapped him across the face with it.
“I didn't believe and he wasn't going to take that because he felt that since I was already gone, they didn't believe that I could then appoint the next person.”
With UE still not recognizing Mendoza as legitimate coach of the Lady Warriors, he was prevented from attending the season-opening press conference at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“Bago magsimula ang Season 87, ayaw nila ako papuntahin sa press con kasi hindi raw ako ang magko-coach at hindi nila hino-honor ang appointment sa’kin ni Doc [Obet Vital] as successor,” Mendoza said.
Vital, who led the team in an interim capacity in Season 86 before moving to the University of the Philippines, confirmed Mendoza’s assertion adding that SGA had knowledge of the transition and that as financial backer, it has a say in appointing the coach.
The players also backed Mendoza and said so by writing UE athetic officials to maintain the system Vital implemented which Mendoza said he would retain.
UE officials turned down the players' request.
Vital insisted their position had merit.
“Since we’re under contract by SGA and SGA was the sponsor, part of it is that SGA would be appointing the coaches,” Vital explained.
“And so, after I left [UE], coach Allan was the interim head coach for UE because the kids wanted to follow the same system and they didn't want a new system, especially being so close to the start of the season. They've been practicing for a while, changing the system would just confuse them.
“They provided a letter stating all of that, but apparently, the Director of PE and Athletics declined the letter so there were issues there.”
It wasn’t until a late call from SGA boss Frank Lao which cleared the air at the time. It was Lao who actually gave Vital the right to choose a successor.
“After that incident, that's when I said, ‘Boss [Frank], they're still not listening. And so, boss Frank had to make some calls to the higher-ups and inform them that the appointed person to be the interim coach is coach Allan,” Vital detailed.
Tryout or phaseout?
As such, Mendoza called the shots for the Lady Warriors as they trudged through a winless campaign last season.
Not long after, however, the school dismissed at least seven players, leaving only four, saying that those who got cut had failed UE's athletic standard.
READ: Reyes, Cepada remain as UE welcomes new coach, backer
In its statement addressing its shakeup of its women's volleyball program, the Recto-based school underlined how an annual season-ending ‘rigorous and merit-based selection process’ took place to form the best roster possible.
What Vital and Mendoza pointed out, however, was that the release of a handful of their players didn’t just come as a result of the tryout.
As per Vital, even before Seaseon 87, players were told that they risk being removed if they do not accept a new coach — said to be former UE head coach Jumbo Dimaculangan.
“The players [were] being threatened that they will be released at the end of Season 87 if they refuse to accept coach Jumbo to take over again in 87,” Vital said.
“They threatened na tatanggalin ang scholarship kapag ‘di [sila] sumunod sa bagong sistema. [What] I was worried about happening, did, in fact, just happen. Players were cut from the program.”
He added that this development led to the subsequent exits of Shamel Fernandez, who left for UP following Vital, Casiey Dongallo, Jelai Gajero, Kizzie Madriaga, and Jenalyn Umayam, as well as the duo of Claire Castillo and Yesha Rojo to Benilde.
“The entire team was pulled into the office. Right around that time, Shamel Fernandez, one of [my] CAL players, was going to stay at UE. However, the director in passing spoke to her and suggested that she should transfer along with Dongallo, Gajero, Madriaga, and Umayam to UP,” Vital said.
“Claire Castillo, along with Yesha Rojo moved to CSB with coach Jerry Yee. These two were also going to stay at UE, but due to the uncertainty and threats, they decided to leave and would rather face the consequences of not being able to play immediately at CSB due to residency rules instead of staying and being kicked out at the end of Season 87.”
From Vital’s point of view, other pertinent differences in vision on the team’s long-term direction exacerbated the situation.
For one, scholarship slots were limited for both grassroots and women’s volleyball programs.
No budget was reportedly allocated for the high school girls’ volleyball program between 2024 and 2025, and was only set to be introduced for the 2026 fiscal year.
Simply put, there wasn’t a Team B or reserve team in place for the women’s volleyball team to expand its pool.
Lady Warriors in the red
What made Mendoza’s winless tenure all the more troubling was how they were deprived of adequate funding for essential expenses, from training days to match days.
The Shakey’s fund, one that the women’s volleyball team earned as part of the pot money from preseason play in the Shakey’s Super League (SSL), was intended for the athletic programs of participating UAAP and NCAA schools.
UE received P536,058 in the SSL’s 2024 preseason run, roughly P680,000 in 2023, and P267,200 in 2022, for a total of around P1,483,528.
But former UE athletic director Rod Roque said the SSL fund is not exclusively allocated to the volleyball program.
The SSL prize money, like any other financial incentive received by the school’s varsity teams and players, go to what Roque called the Sports Development Fund.
“Lahat ng monetary funds na galing sa panalo ng sinumang team, napupunta sa Sports Development Fund for future use,” Roque said.
“Ang gagawin lang ng coaches concerned, ire-request yun sa management for whatever needs they have. The management, in turn, will grant the request and will release the requested amount, but the teams have to liquidate any amount used.”
Mendoza said that his team had requested funding as early as September 2024, three months before the SSL fund was awarded and just around the time of Roque’s retirement, but they were not given any.
“Nag-request kami ng mga needs and then dapat dun magmumula ang funding since dahil sa women's volleyball naman kaya nagkaroon ng funds na ganun,” he explained.
“Nu’ng nag-request kami around September (2024), January (2025) na, wala pa. ‘Di ko alam [kung nakuha pa namin yung fund] kasi that time, I was the assistant [coach] pa lang, so wala pa kong alam sa ganun.”
SPIN.ph reached out to the UE Physical Education Department for further information on the team’s supposedly neglected reques, but has not gotten a response as of posting time.
Throughout the two-year period that the Lady Warriors were backed by SGA, it was the Lao-led group that provided for the team’s operational expenses.
All but athletic scholarships were covered by SGA.
“During that time, wala silang financial problem kasi ang SGA ang nagbibigay ng monthly allowance ng players at monthly salary ng coaches,” Roque said.
“I guess nag-pull out ang sponsor [kaya] na-cut din ang allowances and salaries.”
SGA also covered the team’s needs in terms of transportation, post-game recovery meals, and even basic needs like ice and water.
Through it all, Mendoza's wife was set to give birth. He held on to serve his purpose of lifting his players who trusted and stood by him through thick and thin — even at the expense of his own dignity.
“Yung asawa ko kasi that time, buntis siya. I needed to hold that job,” Mendoza said.
“But the most important thing is yung mga bata na nagtiwala at naniwala sa’tin na kaya ko silang hawakan at i-handle. Kaya talagang tiniis ko lahat kahit na buong pagkatao ko inapak-apakan nila.”
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