New decade brings change of mindset for UE Lady Warriors

UE Lady Warriors with coach Karl Dimaculangan. INQUIRER PHOTO/TRISTAN TAMAYO

MANILA, Philippines—University of the East is ready to move on from its dreadful past and create a new image for the new decade.

The Lady Warriors are on a slow path to relevance and are looking to improve from their humble 3-11 campaign in the year before in the UAAP Season 82 women’s volleyball tournament.

“Changing the team’s image is hard but that is my job now and I’m not even looking at the schools involved, I’m a graduate of UST, but I’m working here to make the team’s a reality,” said UE’s second-year head coach Karl Dimaculangan.

“This won’t be the same UE team, this is going to be different and that’s the players’ mindset. We’ll compete.”

UE went 15-125 overall across 140 games in the past decade, but Dimaculangan is hopeful the new year will be new fortunes for the team despite the departure of Kath Arado and Lai Bendong—the Best Libero and Best Setters, respectively.

With the leadership of Mean Mendrez, Seth Rodriguez, and the help of the younger players, the Lady Warriors could one day contend for, potentially, the Final Four.

“We’re looking at this season one game at a time. We’re not a top team like the other schools because we’re always at the bottom of the standings,” said Dimaculangan.

“This is the most challenging part that the team is in right now.”