UP Fighting Maroons celebrate after completing a five-set upset of NU Lady Bulldogs in UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball.–UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — University of the Philippines lived up to its “UP Fight” mantra as it dashed National University’s unblemished start in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament.
The Fighting Maroons pulled off what Final Four contenders University of Santo Tomas, La Salle, and Far Eastern University failed to do this season.
But while most were surprised by the upset win, UP coach Benson Bocboc knew his players were born fighters and they just needed more push and support to win games.
READ: UAAP: Niña Ytang: ‘Anything is possible’ after UP win over NU
UP coach Benson Bocboc on their bounce back win over NU after a five-set meltdown to Ateneo last weekend. #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/WQkoCmQnlV
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) March 26, 2025
On Wednesday, the Fighting Maroons lived up to the ‘UP Fight!’ mantra, stunning the mighty Lady Bulldogs, , to become the first team to hand them a defeat at Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
“When I first came, I already felt the UP Fight, so I didn’t have to ask them for that. It just comes out naturally, and it’s nice because not all teams are like that. Some teams you really have to push to get that fight out of them, but with them, it’s automatic. I think it’s their character, it’s not from me,” said Bocboc in Filipino after his squad’s stunning 26-24, 23-25, 17-25, 25-23, 15-12 win over the defending champions.
“Maybe it’s because of where they’re coming from, they have a strong foundation. So, we just support and guide them, and I hope it keeps going, all the way to the end.”
UP was coming off a tough five-set meltdown to Ateneo last weekend to begin its second-round campaign. But instead of dwelling on the setback, the Fighting Maroons used it as motivation to take down the Lady Bulldogs, who are led by top collegiate stars Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon under decorated pro coach Sherwin Meneses.
“It was a bit tough because we didn’t have much time. We played on Saturday, and the preparation time was really short. The main focus was to get all the players back to normal so they could play like they usually do. Cramps are tricky, they can really affect you, so the preparation was really basic, just focused on recovery,” said Bocboc.
READ: UAAP: UP takes down NU in women’s volleyball stunner
Joan Monares, who had 16 points including the game-winning drop, said the stinging Ateneo loss made them stronger ahead of the NU clash.
“After that loss, the team’s main focus was how we could recover and bounce back. We trained hard, prepared for NU, listened to our coaches, and kept being reminded to stay disciplined on the court. We knew we made a lot of mistakes in the last game, even in this one, we still had some errors, but what really stood out was the trust in our teammates and the teamwork on the court. That part came naturally,” said Monares in Filipino.
Monares also made sure to apply in-game adjustments, as her game-clinching drop was tactical to close out the game and shut the door on NU.
“Game-wise, I think NU was waiting for a strong spike. They were all positioned to block, so I asked the setter for a short ball since the middle hitter was a bit late. Everyone was already backing up, so I decided to just drop the ball over to NU since they were all pulled back. It was just instinct, really—why hit it when they’re all waiting for your spike?” she said.
Beating NU was a huge morale booster for UP, which improved to a 4-5 record to keep its Final Four bid alive.