Ready for volleyball wars as delayed opener helps UAAP teams prepare better

MANILA, Philippines—Taking advantage of the extended time to train, UAAP teams are now ready for war as the Season 82 volleyball tournament is finally set to unfurl on March 3 after a brief delay.

Coach George Pascua and Norman Miguel said the rescheduling of the tournament due to the coronavirus scare allowed their teams to train more and prepare better.

“The suspension was a big help for us because some of the players who have lingering injuries were able to recover,” said Pascua in Filipino.

Pascua, the head coach of Far Eastern University, also saw a breakthrough since star hitter Lycha Ebon was able to fully recover from the ACL injury she suffered in Season 81.

Miguel, the head coach of National University, said his team was able to polish things out more heading into the tournament.

“The team is excited and happy that the UAAP Season 82 will finally start next week. It’s a mixture of excitement and pressure,” said Miguel.

“With the suspension, we were able to prepare and train more. We were able to work on our weaknesses, and improve our strengths as well.”

Kung Fu Reyes, head coach of University of Santo Tomas, simply said that he’s happy the UAAP is back.

Pascua’s Lady Tamaraws will square up against University of the East in the season opener.