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| YES!!! | Credit: spin.ph |
It was also the last year of Ateneo’s Fab Five (Fille Cainglet, Dzi Gervacio, Jem Ferrer, Gretchen Ho and Carol Nacachi) – the batch that started Ateneo’s prominence in the women’s volleyball scene. It was about time for our women’s volleyball team to finally get over the hump.
That was also the batch that got me into following Ateneo’s women’s volleyball team. I admit that it took me long to consider watching women’s volleyball. Volleyball is not exactly a sport I am crazy to follow, but because I am a shallow dude, the idea of watching pretty girls play was a motivation enough to watch it. I soon realized that the sport was more than eye candy. It was thrilling (especially when they are having long rallies) and entertaining (watching a timeout is like watching reality TV as the coach either lambasts his players or is trying his best to look composed but still ends up making awkward speeches).
Above it all, it was an amazing experience to watch Ateneo’s Fab Five grow. They started as a project team and improved from that. They reached the Final Four then they reached the Finals for the first time in the 2011-2012 season. DLSU Lady Spikers, the most dominant volleyball team for the past five years, swept the elimination round that year so they enjoyed a thrice-to-beat advantage in the Finals. However, the Lady Eagles defeated La Salle for the first time that year (and in a long while) to force the virtual best-of-three series. However, it was not enough. La Salle was just too good and they won the next two games.
The following year, everyone was optimistic that it could be our time. The Lady Eagles are not the pushovers anymore. Actually, they have gotten some swag (or bitterness, depending on your perspective). Ateneo went on to face La Salle in the Finals. Final year of the Fab Five: This is it!
Result: Ateneo got swept and La Salle ended the stint of our Fab Five. DLSU’s volleyball team was just too disciplined and experienced for Ateneo to handle. It marked the end for Ateneo’s Fab Five. They graduate without reaching the Promised Land.
Ouch.
The problem with having a star-studded batch is when they all leave after graduation. You have too many shoes to fill the void. The only mainstays that were left were scoring machine Alyssa Valdez and exceptional libero Dennise Lazaro. It did not help that Ateneo's most sought after rookie, Desiree Cheng who happens to be a complete player and was highly decorated with HS MVP's, chose La Salle.
At the start of the 2013-2014 volleyball season, I had zero expectations because I knew that the team was on a rebuilding phase. In their first game, they were brutally swept by the NU Lady Bulldogs. It was so bad that the only good thing I could tweet then was to “stick with the team through thick and thin.”
Rooting for a sports team is like having a relationship with someone. You have to be committed and you have to go through the pains. But in my case, I am pretty much stuck (or “married”) with rooting for Ateneo teams my entire life because I am an Atenean. I cannot just dump them for a suddenly sexy team like some bandwagon sports fans do.
Surprisingly, this year’s batch of rookies and backups were winning games. They were easily subdued by the top two teams, but they were able to take care of the rest of the competition. The rest was history. They reached the Final Four and in an unexpected fashion, they defeated their elimination round tormentors, the NU Lady Bulldogs, twice. After three win-or-go-home games, the Lady Eagles were suddenly in the Finals.
Reaching the Finals seemed like the icing of the cake for this wonderful season for me. I never expected Ateneo to even reach the Final Four or win a game in there. All I asked for was the team to battle it out through the end even if it ends up in a losing effort. This was a rebuilding year and all we, Ateneo fans, hoped for was the team could gain some confidence and experience that could prove vital down the road.
When I watched the Ateneo-La Salle Game 1, all I hoped for was we steal at least one set. Deep inside, I knew we have a shot in that game though. La Salle just had a two-week long layoff and such teams usually get rusty. But just like in life, you cannot expect anything in sports. Most especially if your rookie-laden team is duelling a seasoned, well-oiled machine team. Ever since I started following women’s volleyball, La Salle has been beating Ateneo teams constantly (except for that Game 1 in the Finals back in 2012). DLSU players mocked, taunted and bullied their Ateneo counterparts for the longest time. It was hardly a rivalry because it has been lopsided.
It was like Boston Red Sox versus New York Yankees pre-2004.
But because we came this far (by winning three elimination games), I started to ask, “Why not us?” That was the same question, the Boston Red Sox were asking back in 2004 when they were in a deep hole (down 0-3 in a best-of-seven series against their longtime tormentors). You can do a lot of analysis pointing that the Lady Eagles have little shot of winning the championship: 1) thrice-to-beat advantage is just too much; 2) La Salle has not lost a match; 3) La Salle defeated Ateneo with a total of more than 25 points (an entire set!) when they met in the elimination round; 4) Ateneo is too inexperienced; and 5) even the crowd is heavily pro-La Salle.
But you know what, we’re still in this thing. We could have been eliminated any time in the last three games (assuming we have a 50-50 probability each game, we just had a 12.5% chance of making the Finals), but we made it. We were still alive. So yes, why not us? As long as you have a shot, you can always believe.
I have to admit that despite having hopes for the Lady Eagles, I was prepared for the stomach punch. Hopeful situations like these are always vulnerable for that punch to the gut experience. I even have in mind how I would write this blog entry should the Lady Eagles lose. But because this was already a triumphant season, winning or losing both offered great material. Should the Lady Eagles lose, I was prepared to say that they are “winners in my book” because they tried their best despite a losing effort. Because you cannot expect things to turn out what you want them to be in life, winning or losing is just a matter of a result. What mattered was what you did before that result. This is because there are some things in life you have no control. If your opponent is just way too strong or if you were just too unlucky (i.e., injuries), there is a strong chance you will end up losing. But if they do, I just hoped that the Lady Eagles went down with a blaze of glory. I hoped that they would fight tooth and nail up to the very end even if they knew they would succumb to defeat.
Win or lose, this batch of Lady Eagles were winners for me because there have been several setbacks that they encountered, but they never folded in every single one of them. Let me enumerate all the unfortunate events that happened to them:
1) Attrition of star players
2) Loss of key players to injury
3) Coach Tai was on leave for a significant part of the season because of the situation in Thailand
4) Alyssa Valdez and Denden Lazaro suffered injuries throughout the season
They could have folded, but they did not. Instead, they reinvented themselves and worked around with what they could control. Fab Five gone? Let’s utilize the new players to the team and see if they could spark the difference. Gopico suffering an ACL injury? Let’s use that tall backup Patnongon. Let’s try if the rookie Morente could build up some confidence. Coach Tai on indefinite leave? We just continue to fight. There was a lot of player shuffling that time, but it enabled the bench players to gain some confidence. They may have lost big to La Salle in their elimination round encounters but I think it made the players humble enough to know their strengths and weaknesses. Alyssa and Denden’s injuries? We’ll get back to that one later.
Game 1
“Do it one time for the underdogs.” – B.o.B feat Taylor Swift from the song “Both of Us”
La Salle did not seem rusty in the first set of this game. They were their usual selves with high confidence as they thumped the Lady Eagles handily. However, these Heart Strong Lady Eagles continued to try. They were able to manage to keep the score close in the second set and it was enough for them to steal it. What ensued was a surreal experience. It boosted the Lady Eagles’ confidence to the point that they dominated La Salle in the third set. The Lady Spikers were shell-shocked that they could not recover for the rest of the match.
Ateneo upsets La Salle in four sets. Wow. Kaya naman pala.
Game 2
“Don’t the best of them bleed it out?” – Foo Fighters from the song “My Hero”
Ateneo continued to ride with their confidence at the start of Game 2. We were matching La Salle in scoring. We actually can do this!
Then, Denden Lazaro badly injured her foot while chasing the ball.
No! Not now!
All I could remember then was, seeing Denden having a hard time to even walk.
One of the most brutal scenes in sports is when you see your favorite player go down in injury. Denden is my favorite Lady Eagle because she plays a role (libero) that has little glory yet it has been one of the most important roles in the team as her exceptional defense is what makes the ball alive when the opponents are supposed to have easily scored. Denden’s outstanding receptions and digs are also what makes setting the ball easy for the offense to score when they respond back.
2012: I can still remember La Salle attacking towards Denden’s direction all the time. She was able to receive some but she eventually lost some confidence. She struggled in the entirety of the series. Result: Ateneo loss.
In all of Ateneo’s Final Four wins, Denden’s amazing defense was what drove Ateneo to win. In the close games, there were times when we could have easily lost the set but Denden was there to save the day with her dives to keep the ball alive. She has grown a lot from the days when she was La Salle’s favorite target. One could say that the experience made her tougher.
For a lot of times in the first two sets, I was staring at the bench. Denden Lazaro was lying in pain with a towel over her head. I do not know if she was crying but she was surely in pain. I was alarmed that her season could potentially be over. The same feeling could be said for the rest of the Lady Eagles. They struggled and could barely even keep the ball alive. Result: La Salle destroyed Ateneo in the first set.
Shit. Have we lost the confidence we built in the past four games? I don’t know, but the team was not looking good then. However, there was one thing that popped up in my mind: Adversity. This Lady Eagle squad had been through a lot of adversity all throughout the year. What’s stopping them now? And true enough, the Lady Eagles tried to fight back while Denden was having her feet taped at the bench. We may have lost the second set that match but we surely tried to give La Salle a scare. The Lady Eagles managed to score 20 points even if their libero was down.
Down two sets against La Salle. That was a lot to handle. Then, a familiar girl stepped in to play. Denden Lazaro is back! Wow. She was still in agony minutes ago! How is that possible?! I do not know how Denden endured it, but I am sure glad she did. She brought hope and confidence back to the Ateneo gallery. Seeing her keep the ball alive in that third set was awe-inspiring. We are not giving this game up yet. Denden and the newly rejuvenated Lady Eagles won the third set. Man, that was insane. It was like Curt Schilling’s bloody sock game back in 2004.
Unfortunately, Ateneo lost the fourth set of this match. La Salle wins it and are one game away from winning the championship.
I was supposed to feel bad after this game, but I wasn’t. I was just so proud of how Dennise Lazaro played through pain. It might have been a losing effort but she kept the confidence alive. People may say that Game 1 is a fluke because La Salle was rusty and still unprepared, but the fact that Ateneo almost forced Game 2 to a fifth and final set (despite losing the best libero of the year to injury for 1 ½ sets) says we really do have a shot at this.
After this game, I watched “Karate Kid” to make me feel better. Perfect movie for the scenario. Coach Tai was like Mr. Miyagi. You wouldn’t initially expect a lot from him as a mentor. He is too jovial that you don’t know if he is actually teaching the right things. But you know what? He does know how to teach the right things. Aby Marano was like Johnny Lawrence. Accomplished a lot already and is a very emotional bully. She is not satisfied with just playing the game. She expects to win it all. Losing the championship is a failure for her.
Who’s Daniel Larusso then? Same initials: Dennise Lazaro. Both of them were bullied (think of 2011-2012 Denden). And during the finals matches, they both got injured. But, both had strong will to continue fighting.
Believe.
Game 3
“Could’ve given up easily. I was just two cheap shots away from the end of me.” – Paramore from the song “Looking Up”
I watched this at the Lower Box of MOA Arena and I saw a sea of green around the stadium. La Salle was smelling it. The ratio had to be somewhere around 65-35 in favor of La Salle. I was disappointed that the Blue Babble Batallion was missing in the lower box section while the La Salle Pep Squad was in full force.
However, this kind of adversity has been the theme of the year for the Lady Eagles. No matter how suppressed they felt, they just kept fighting. There was no reason to stop even if we still needed to win two straight games against these three-time defending champions.
Early in the season, Coach Tai was out indefinitely. Ateneo got into a huge rotation shuffle then. This gave some exposure to the Lady Eagles. Funny thing is, I think this worked particularly well in this game because it gave Coach Tai the ability to switch players from time to time. The exposure early in the season gave some confidence to the bench players.
Another adversity storyline was the time when Denden was out in Game 2. Ateneo struggled receiving the ball then. Come Game 3, there were times when La Salle tried to exploit our supposed weaker receivers. They targeted Alyssa Valdez, but this time, she was able to receive well.
I remember how Dad used to tell me how overcoming adversity and experiencing challenges along the way are important in sports. Teams that took the harder road actually are the ones who prevail in the end. Back in 2008, the Boston Celtics had a hard time finishing their playoff opponents, but because they were sharpened through these experiences, they were trying much harder come the NBA Finals. The same goes with the 2002 Ateneo Blue Eagles. They were pretty much in win-or-go-home mode then so they have developed some sort of determination and urgency along the way. Even the 2008 Ateneo Blue Eagles experienced adversity. Yeah, they had a 13-1 record but they experienced a lot of pain for the past six years.
The same can be said for the Lady Eagles. All the heartaches and struggles they had pushed them to have a stronger character. Ella De Jesus and Amy Ahomiro were in the bench for the longest time. But they became the X-factors of the team in this finals. Who would have known that the solutions to Ateneo’s longtime problems could be found somewhere near? We were looking for outside options all these times, that we didn’t notice that what we were looking for was already here all along.
After Game 2, my buddy Dave and I were drinking in Café Adriatico when we saw a sad Amy Ahomiro retreating to her parents’ table. Dave had a brilliant idea of sending a good luck message to Amy when he wrote it on a tissue paper. Come Game 3, Tissue Paper Girl (as we call her now) delivered when it mattered. She outplayed the dominant Mika Reyes.
Ateneo won the first two sets of Game 3 but it was not a walk-in-the-park. La Salle quickly tied the match up and we headed to the final set. La Salle continued to have their confidence there and was about to win that match (and the championship). The score was at 12-8 in favor of La Salle. They just needed three points to win it all while Ateneo needed more just to tie it up.
That was the time when I heard the confident La Salle crowd chanting, “Four-Peat! Four-Peat! Four-Peat!” Funny thing in sports: you don’t jinx your team. For some reason, the La Salle players started to get uptight and pressured. On the other hand, the Lady Eagles were in – as Coach Tai says it – “Happy happy” mode.
I was accustomed to think that sports teams need some swag in them. They need the “I’m not gonna let you step on me” mode. La Salle had that. Last year, Ateneo had that. This year, they didn’t. I am glad they didn’t have to. All they needed was confidence and a positive attitude of facing things. When they commit mistakes, they smile and say they’ll correct it the next time. When they score, they rejoice. They don’t mock their opponents. They were so “happy” that La Salle’s swagger was useless to them. Ateneo were the “nice guys” of this season. And this time, the “nice guy” routine worked out well for them. They were not pressured so they were able to tie La Salle and eventually win the game. For once in my life, we are just a match away from winning the championship.
When Coach Tai was interviewed as to what he said during the last timeout, he said that he just told the girls to believe that they can win the game.
Believe. Simple as that. You do not need to trashtalk or bring down your opposition. All you need to do is just believe in yourself and just be the best at what you can.
Sometimes, miracles do happen.
Why not us?
Game 4
“Hello, I’ve waited here for you, ever long.” – Foo Fighters from the song “Everlong”
Conventional wisdom points to the La Salle Lady Spikers winning this final game. But if you actually analyze it, the underdog Lady Eagles are pretty much equipped on doing the improbable. All the pain and hardships in the past years were coming to fruition in this very game. Denden and Alyssa have endured the pain of losing the past two to three years. Ella and Amy sat on the bench and patiently waited for their turn. As for the rookies, they had their struggles during the year. It was not an easy road but the experiences shaped them to become much better players now.
In Malcolm Gladwell’s book “David and Goliath,” he explains there that David might be the perceived underdog but in reality he actually had all the advantages to win. The same can be said for the Lady Eagles:
1) La Salle thought all along that NU would be facing them
2) They underestimated the Lady Eagles
3) Lady Eagles’ confidence was immense after winning four elimination games
4) Too much pressure on La Salle’s side. They had everything to lose
5) DLSU was expecting to win. Ateneo, on the other hand, was just playing their best since they never expected to reach this far anyway.
6) La Salle's strengths were pretty much exposed all throughout the elimination round while Ateneo had hidden gems in Ahomiro and Morente who delivered in the Finals.
Result: Straight sets. In Ateneo’s favor. Champions, baby!
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| Yup, I was on TV. Credit: ABS-CBN Sports |
When I was pondering on what outcome would lead to a better writeup storyline for me, I ended up wishing for the win scenario. It is not as obvious as it seems because there are also lots of good things to be learned when one loses. However, that has been the storyline for the Lady Eagles for the past few years and there comes a time when we grow from that. This time, victory was ours for the taking.
But, do you know why I heavily rooted for the win scenario storyline? This was because Ateneo’s win was actually not just about a sports team’s miraculous championship run. It was not just about my Alma Mater winning. It’s not just about my experience as a fan. Ateneo winning the championship actually goes beyond sports. It relayed the message to us to always believe no matter how hard the circumstances are. Just look at how improbable it was: Ateneo had to win six out of seven games against the top teams in the league. It took the team an immense amount of confidence in themselves to pull it off.
Ateneo winning the championship is for the believers. It serves as a reminder that no matter how bleak the situation is, you just keep on fighting. Do not expect. Just hope for better things to come. Ateneo winning the championship is about “things happening for a reason.” The team lost the last two years for them to gain the necessary experience for this sweet championship to unfold.
People say nice guys finish last. However, they also win sometimes. And when they do, nice guys (or girls, in this situation) get the sweetest win of them all.
Keep on believing.
Acknowledgement
I would like to thank God for a wonderful season. Simple inspirational stuff like this is what I need in life. And yes, I continue to believe in Him.
I would like to thank Direk Abet Ramos for the patron tickets in Game 3. Thanks to his daughter Yna for providing the tickets and watching the game with us. It was nice to have someone from a neutral school (UP) appreciate this rivalry game. Her cousin Andrew from La Salle was also a good sport. I was glad they welcomed us even if we were jeering in the game. Watching a championship game in the La Salle side was a surreal experience as my buddy Dave and I continued to cheer despite the sea of green.
Thanks to the La Salle supporters for not being hostile to us. At the end of the day, it was still clean fun. You people have good sportsmanship attitude.
Congratulations to the La Salle Lady Spikers for a great season. Heads up, girls. You were still exceptional. I actually enjoy watching you play. I am not going to say sorry for the jeers I have thrown at your direction though. These are part of the game and you should embrace these as these test your character.
I would like to thank Cafe Adriatico, CPK, GetBlued, Lacoste, Sony Playstation 3, Honda, Ralph Lauren, H&M, my buddy Ferdie for the numerous jokes on volleyball, Lacoste, Gap, Banana Republic, Selina Dagdag, San Juan Arena, the parking attendant in San Juan Arena who makes me park at the gutter, Ina Ongsiako, Bea Fabregas, Mozzy Ravena, Boom Gonzales (especially now that everyone pretty much hates him), Converse, Hooters, the dude (who claims he is an ex-UE cager) who always talks to us at Cafe Adriatico about UAAP sports, San Miguel Beer, Forever 21 for providing Peter's cap, Sebago, Allen Edmonds, MOA Arena, Omega, Ramen Nagi, Jack Daniels, Keyser Soze, Karate Kid (the movie), Jollibee, Araneta Coliseum, Kenny Rogers, HIMYM cast/writers, the taxi driver who drove us from Hooters MOA to MOA parking (oh wait, was I not supposed to say that since it's embarassing? Oops), the waiter who gave the tissue paper to Amy Ahomiro, Kevin Spacey for being Keyser Soze (oops, did I spoil you?), my iPhone's crappy camera, my iPhone (again!) for shuffling to the right songs, the frustrating ticketing system of SM Tickets.com, Vampire Weekend for reminding us nobody gives a fuck about an oxford comma so I won't put one after this, (oops!) and Billy Zabka for showing up with a dirt bike on the last episode of "How I Met Your Mother."
Thanks to my friends Dave and Peter. It has been an amazing journey to watch the games and cheer with you. Thanks for passionately cheering with me. Those were good times. Let me correct that: transcendent times. Until the next UAAP season!
Thanks to the Ateneo community for believing in the Lady Eagles. I know the attendance and the cheering have been dismal at times, but still… win or lose, ang sarap pa rin maging Atenista.
And of course, thanks to the Ateneo Lady Eagles. Thanks for being the inspiration to us all. Their achievement is the kind of thing I would want to tell my grandkids some day in the future. Thanks to the Lady Eagles for the reminder they have for us: There is always hope.
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