San Sebastian head coach Roger Gorayeb. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Roger Gorayeb was in no mood to sugarcoat the way San Sebastian played the whole tournament in the NCAA Season 93 women’s volleyball tournament.
The Lady Stags’ head coach was downtrodden when they finished the elimination round with a 5-4 record and with the bleakest of chances for a Final Four spot.
Gorayeb said his team never showed the maturity required for them to compensate for their lack of players, or even a sense of responsibility to take care of things in their own capacity.
“They did not play the way they were expected of them,” said Gorayeb at Filoil Flying V Centre after losing their final match against Arellano University 19-25, 36-34, 25-16, 25-21 on Thursday.
“I told them that they had to unleash their potential, never mind that there are only eight of them,” said Gorayeb in Filipino. “When Grethcel [Soltones] graduated that was the sign that they should step it up because there’s no one to rely on but themselves.”
San Sebastian, for the past three years, have relied on the genius of Soltones, who won three straight MVPs, to get them to several trips to the Finals.
And with Soltones gone, Gorayeb was disappointed with how his team ultimately failed to bring San Sebastian to at least the Final Four.
“They never had that sense of urgency, that sense of responsibility that they have to do this,” said Gorayeb in Filipino.
The games that Gorayeb lamented over the most were the five-set losses to University of Perpetual Help and Jose Rizal University.
And as if fate were playing tricks on the Lady Stags, the Lady Altas and the Lady Bombers are now poised to take the last two spots in the semifinals with 5-2 and 5-3 records, respectively.
“I know we’re on the disadvantage in terms of number of players, but skills-wise? We’re all good,” said Gorayeb. “When you lose games by committing the same mistakes over and over again, that’s just shows you’re scared of the situation.”