UAAP: Gut feeling turns into crucial win for Benson Bocboc, UP

UP Fighting Maroons coach Benson Bocboc during a game against La Salle Lady Spikers in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 87 volleyball tournament second round

MANILA, Philippines —University of the Philippines coach Benson Bocboc had a gut feeling his team could pull off an upset against his former squad and mentor on Sunday.

And true enough, the Fighting Maroons pulled it off.

“Earlier in the dugout, I told the team—I had a feeling. Maybe today’s the day we finally get that win,” said Bocboc, a former assistant coach of Ramil De Jesus at La Salle, in Filipino after UP’s 26-24, 18-25, 19-25, 25-22, 16-14 win in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament.

“ I told them, ‘We’re feeling good today, we’ve been working hard these past few days, let’s keep going.’ I reminded them that we know the players on the other side, so just listen and follow the game plan.”

Knowing full well the tendencies of La Salle, having been part of the team for nine seasons, Bocboc managed to steer UP in the right direction against the powerhouse team–even fighting back from a 1-2 deficit and overcoming a near blown lead in the decider.

Angel Canino and Shevana Laput tied the fifth set at 14-all, before Kassy Doering brought back the Fighting Maroons at match point and Joan Monares sealed the all-important win that keep their Final Four bid on track with a 6-6 record.

UP Fighting Maroons’ Kassy Doering during a victory over La Salle Lady Spikers in UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball.
–UAAP PHOTO

“Compared to other opponents, [UP] probably had more info on La Salle,” Bocboc said.

“But my main reminder to them was to focus on themselves. If they’re familiar with the situation, they’ll know what to do. Sometimes, when they get instructions too early—like during warmups—they overthink it until the end of the match and end up freezing. That usually leads to a 0-3 loss. So it’s good that they really listened this time,”

READ: UAAP: New UP coach Benson Bocboc keeps focus on the team

It took a little bit of time for the Fighting Maroons to get into the groove, but they got their game together just in time to thwart the Lady Spikers’ bid to complete the Final Four cast.

A win for La Salle would have given Far Eastern University and the University of Santo Tomas a free ride to the post-season.

“At first, they were doing a lot of different things, but toward the end, they started to get it—touching the blocks, reading the plays. As long as they follow instructions, things fall into place. The win was a close one, but a good one. We’re getting there,” he said.

While he managed to turn familiarity into an advantage against La Salle, Bocboc deflected the credit to the players on the floor.

“They really worked for it. They’re the ones on the court, after all,” he said.

Now UP turns its focus on its last push as the team looks to maximize the Holy Week break before facing UST and Adamson in the home stretch.

“We’re not stopping our preparations, even if the break is long. We’ll sit down with the coaches and talk about what we specifically need to work on and explore our options. I think we can use this time to rest—physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. Hopefully, when we come back, we’ll be even stronger,” Bocboc said.