Volleybelles take first season loss in NCR-UCLAA finals, ‘lacked training’

Receiving their first setback in the 1st National Capital Region Universities and Colleges of Luzon Athletic Association (NCR-UCLAA) league, the Lady Patriots succumbed to the still-undefeated Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) Lady Engineers, 14-25, 25-21, 23-25, and 22-25, due to insufficient training as per head coach Joven Racelis, during the NCR-UCLAA volleyball championship held yesterday at the TIP gym, Manila.

 

Engineered

“Kulang kami ng court, wala kaming ensayo, kasi walang court sa La Salle … occupied lahat ng high school,” Racelis shared.

The Lady Patriots were plagued with 13 errors in the first set, helping the Lady Engineers bury them in set score of 14-25.

However, the green-and-white lady spikers found their groove in the second set after nailing the TIP at 25-21.

The two teams kept each other at bay in the third frame⎯loosening at the scores of 23-23 ⎯where DLSU-D was the downer after the Manila-based squad bombarded a spike, 23-24, and a miscommunication on the side of the Animo squad set off the scores at 23-25.

Trying to climb back in the fourth set, the Lady Patriots assaulted with a 6-1 surge at 13-13, resulting into a 17-13 scoreboard. However, the Lady Engineers clawed their way back with a 10-3 run⎯comprising of two errors courtesy of the Patriots⎯20-24. DLSU-D played their hearts out and composed a long rally at 20-24 but fell at 22-25.

“Kaya ng bata, kung may ensayo lang talaga. Walang preparasyon, kaya nakasimangot lahat ng bata,” Racelis bluntly expressed.

Facing a much-needed game, the Lady Patriots will try to bounce back against TIP to keep their hopes alive for the championship title on April 6, Thursday.

 

‘Nothing to lose’

On the other hand, despite a neck-and-neck defeat⎯23-25, 25-17, 33-31, 25-22, and 12-15⎯ the DLSU-D men’s volleyball team went into the battlefield with smiles all over their faces.

Due to work outside DLSU-D, Patriot head coach Al-frazin Abdulwahab was unable to attend, leaving assistant coach Ran Abdilla as the helm for today’s game.

“Sinabi ko sa kanila, nothing to lose [here]. Kasi ‘pag sinabi mo ‘yon, ‘di nila iisipin ‘yong mga dati nilang pagkakamali,” Patriot assistant coach Alnakran Abdilla said.

And the result was visible in the third set, especially in Patriot Eddiemar Kasim, who held the last 8 points in the 33-31 quadrant.

“Para sa akin, sa mga ganyang laban, mas okay na sabihin mo sa mga bata, nothing to lose, kasi talagang laro nila lumalabas, magaan sa pakiramdam,” Abdilla added.

The Patriots have a lot to improve, shares the assistant coach.

“Unang-una, receive ‘tsaka defense namin. Pangalawa blockings. Pangatlo ‘yong setting ng setter namin, kasi ‘yon talaga ang problema na makikita mo sa kanila,” Abdilla explained.

The Dasmariñas-based squad also has been encountering problems against powerhouse teams, as per Abdilla.

“Kailangan lang nilang maging matapang, kailangan mawala sa kanila ‘yong ‘pag nakalaban natin itong ganitong team, malakas ‘to. Kailangan mawala sa kanila ‘yon para hindi lang ‘yong skills nila ang ma-develop, pati ‘yong pagiisip nila tumapang talaga,” Abdilla happily said.