Tai Bundit’s oomph spurs Ateneo
MANILA, Philippines — His quirky victory dance did more than just entertain the legion of Filipino volleyball fans.
For Ateneo star Alyssa Valdez, the sideline antics of her Thai coach Anusorn “Tai” Bundit was one of those unlikely things that pushed the Lady Eagles, the newly crowned UAAP champions, to achieve the improbable.
“When we see him running around after we score, we kept pushing,” said Valdez. “Coach never gets tired of pushing us. Whatever happens, he’ll always say ‘You’re a good player.’ So we kept thinking we shouldn’t be doubting ourselves because our coach believes in us. He wants everyone to be happy inside the court.”
The ever cheerful Valdez, whose skills and sunny demeanor made her perhaps the league’s most popular player, may have indeed found a good match in the positive-minded Anusorn.
“The arrival of coach Tai was a factor, he’s very effective,” Valdez said of her first-year mentor, who also coined the now famous team mantra “Heart Strong.”
Although it was initially tough working with Anusorn—the coach only speaks a few English words—Valdez said his simple phrases of instructions and motivation were enough for the Lady Eagles.
“If you believe you can win, you will win,” said the 46-year-old Anusorn, who also coaches the training pool of Thailand’s national volleyball team. “If you’re happy and you want to win, you will win.”
The Lady Eagles capped their historic romp with an unbelievable straight-sets victory over the La Salle Lady Spikers, 25-23, 26-24, 25-21, in the do-or-die Game 4 of the finals last Saturday.
Delivering yet another virtuoso performance, Valdez powered the Lady Eagles to their first championship in the event after the school settled for runner-up finishes in the last two seasons.
Typical of Valdez, she deflected the praises to her coach and her teammates even if she can now claim to be the best player in the best team.
“We were together as a team and everyone did their roles,” said Valdez, the 5-foot-9 senior who bagged the Season and Finals MVP on top of the Best Scorer and Best Server awards.
“Sometimes coach Tai’s training would be very hard, but everyone wanted to learn. His motivation worked. He even taught us meditation after every set and it worked ”
Ranked No. 3, the Lady Eagles looked like they had no shot at stopping the intimidating Lady Spikers, the three-time champions who toted a thrice-to-beat finals advantage and also boasted a 30-game unbeaten run.
But Valdez said playing minus the pressure made a big difference.
“We were thinking that whatever happens, everyone will be proud of us,” said Valdez. “We just enjoyed the game and played our best.”
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