Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
University of the Philippines still had minor leeway before it faced University of Santo Tomas in the second round of the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament.
The Lady Maroons held a 3-6 record against the Golden Tigresses’ 2-7, but the two teams got into the same level field after the match as UST stunned UP in four sets, 19-25, 30-28, 25-20, 25-16.
With the loss, UP now has to win every single game in its remaining schedule if it hopes to reach the Final Four.
And the painful setback prompted head coach Godfrey Okumu to leave the team without evem giving a single word in the post-game huddle.
Captain Diana Carlos said Okumu’s silent treatment was the first time it happened and she knows their coach wants them to figure things out on their won.
“This was the first time that he left without talking to us,” said Carlos in Filipino. “I think this was his way of telling us that we should be able to fix this ourselves.”
Carlos, who finished with 24 points, added that the whole team is well aware of the situation they’re in where one loss could send them out of the Final Four race.
She said that all they can do is play it out and not let go of any of their opportunities.
“This is our situation we’re in, we just have to play it out,” said Carlos whose team is tied with UST at sixth in the standings. “Of course this will boil down to our attitude and it will only be ourselves who will fix this.”