UAAP: Green Spikers look to get back on track in Season 78

With the basketball season at a close, volleyball has taken over as the sport to follow for the remainder of the UAAP calendar. As usual, a vast majority of the viewing public will keep a sharp eye on the UAAP Women’s Volleyball tournament, unaware that several squads are currently on the rise as well.

It has been three seasons since the DLSU Green Spikers reached the Final Four of the UAAP Men’s Volleyball Tournament. After finishing fifth in the Season 76 tourney, the Green Spikers dropped a place lower in last season’s standings, finishing at sixth overall with a dismal 4-10 win-loss record.

Itching to finally break out of their slump from the shadows of their female counterparts, the team has made all the necessary preparations to ensure that this year would be different from the last.

Road to redemption

Despite the volleyball tournament commencing during the latter part of the season, the Green Spikers have already had their fair share of volleyball action by participating in numerous preseason tournaments prior to the UAAP.

“Thankful kami na nakasali kami sa past tournaments namin, like yung Intercol Baguio, [and] Unigames. Maganda naman yung epekto, lalo na dun sa Unigames na nag-champion kami, since big deal siya na tournament sa amin. Kasi marami ding universities na sumali dun,” said team captain Raymark Woo on the team’s experiences during the preseason.

Green Spikers head coach Ronald Dulay expressed similar words towards the preseason tournaments they participated in, saying, “Malaki yung tulong ng mga pre-season tournaments kasi nakikita namin yung mga weakness ng team.”

Aside from the aforementioned competitions, the Green Spikers also participated in the newly formed Spikers’ Turf Collegiate Conference, a league that was formed last year by Sports Vision Management Group, Inc. in cooperation with PLDT Home Ultera.

What’s different about this league is that collegiate teams such as La Salle could compete against semi-professional teams, beyond the usual amateur tournaments they participate in. “…big opportunity din siya [Spikers’ turf] sa amin na ma-expose dun sa tournament na yun kasi mga matataas na sila, mga graduate na yun, mga matatanda na rin yung mga kalaban namin. So mga beterano na talaga,” said Woo, who suffered an injury during the semifinal round.

Necessary preparations

The grind of a long season can take its toll on one’s body, a concern that can end up hampering an athlete’s performance. In order to address the issue, Dulay wanted his players to spend more time in the gym after practice.

“Inimprove namin yung physical conditioning ng mga bata kasi malaki yung impact niyan sa katawan ng bata. Kasi pag hindi namin babaguhin yung performance ng bata, maapektuhan yaan,” remarked Dulay.

To shake things up a bit with regards to training, the Green Spikers decided to hone not only the technical aspects of their game, but also the much needed mental toughness to take their games to the next level.

“Magandang epekto din siya na nabalanse yung physical atsaka mental training namin para mas buo pa kami sa loob ng court,” Woo said regarding their newly implemented training regimen.

Under a new leadership

It is not unusual for new team captains to be named every year, and the same goes for Raymark Woo, the Green Spikers’ new team captain for Season 78. More than anything, the challenge in taking the leadership role lies in how they make a difference when it’s all said and done.

“…Medyo mahirap maging team captain kasi akala mo lang na yung responsibility mo nandiyan lang sa loob ng talaga ng court,” said Woo, who mentioned that he accepted the team captain position without hesitation.

The Green Spikers finished fifth overall during Season 76 and dropped a place lower the next season. With the grit and determination the team has been showing in the preseason tournaments and during training, a seventh place finish is definitely not an option for them.