The UAAP Finals Experience and Why You Shouldn’t Miss It

Five years is long enough. The FEU Tamaraws have been starving to tear the gold away from Ateneo’s clawed grasp, and they just came too close last year. Almost tasting the succulent but elusive crown, practically salivating, the Morayta cagers are far too famished not to give everything they’ve got, and more.

I was a freshman when the former King Tamaraw, Arwind Santos, led FEU to its 19^th title. Like any geeky freshman, my singular goal was to finish my first sem with flying colors. I had no interest in school organizations, even FEU Advocate, and much less interest in UAAP’s basketball. I did care about volleyball though, I was an avid Shakey’s V League fan and it was a post-Michelle Carolino season back then. Until a classmate, who has a future in sales, did a hard sell and got me to buy a ticket for Game 2 Finals against the De La Salle University’s Archers.

And it was a very exciting, exhilarating and, as I have learned eventually, elusive experience.

For some Tamaraws, they consider me lucky to experience a championship within my four-year stay in FEU. It’s like one of the checklists of being enrolled in a UAAP school, experience a championship year.

Since then, I have always wanted to go to Araneta and support my alma mater, but the realities of being a student nurse made Araneta a distant luxury. Blame me for being seemingly suicidal; I took the FEU Advocate exam, qualified, only to shave off more hours from a regular day. As I took the publication’s role seriously, perhaps more seriously than my own studies, I needed either a Saturday or a Sunday to rest and survive the coming week, pulling me further away from Araneta.

Classmates would have the idea that being in the publication meant required presence during the UAAP games. But I was not a Sports writer, I was under the Features section, which meant a handful of wanted, and unwanted, second-hand information from photographers and writers who cover games. I forgot who, but an Advocate batchmate (meaning we got in at the same time) once did a play-by-play account of a game. I blocked the words and an exceptional game analysis, from a fresh student journalist, not because I wasn’t interested but because the level of enthusiasm is intoxicating, and it was excruciating for me to listen when I wanted to be there myself.

Fast forward five years, and I found myself nostalgic of FEU’s Game 2 against La Salle. This time, I wasn’t in general admission (sounds like being admitted at the hospital), I was at the lowerbox beside another Advocate batchmate, a former Sports Editor, during the recent, controversial FEU vs. La Salle game.

And I took in everything that my senses fed me.

The Tamaraws’ territory has greatly improved we don’t just occupy gen ad to a gold-spotted lowerbox anymore. The horde has marked patron seating as part of their territory. Students wear their school colors with pride, and ‘just-in-case-FEU-loses-I-won’t-be-associated-with-the-school’ type of shirts are close to extinction.

Triggered by ugly game officiating (trying to control myself here), the Tamaraws were engaged in high-pitched verbal brawls against, well.. everyone else. My friend was acting like she’s not going to need her voice to answer calls later. She was standing and pointing to people on the court like she was the team coach. (I was ticked off by the officiating, not the La Salle's players per se)

As Cawaling was injudiciously sent off by an infuriating referee, my friend, and probably like other girls of our horde, acted like they were Cawaling’s girlfriend in anger. Others were screaming as if part of an activist movement, the picture only lacks placards and slogans with ‘Justice for Cawaling’.

As the horde erupted with contempt against a presumed orchestration of callouts, the team walking out after the first half, the Tamaraws still emerged victorious, crushing the Archers’ dream of making it to the Finals. Now, FEU is closer than ever to bringing the gold back where it might’ve, or should’ve, been since last year.

And we’re not going to miss it.

As early as the game’s conclusion, we already made arrangements on how to get our tickets for Game One. Two or three former Advocate staffers, and two current members, lined up for the tickets at FEU, reaching the end of the line only meant lining up again to buy another ticket until they had enough tickets for the number of people we hoarded to watch the game.  Eventually, the cashier got to know them, and wondered when they would stop lining up. They ended up making friends with the cashiers, which is a great achievement, I may say, since I’ve heard and experienced cashiers’ ire when doing transactions.

Like any telenovela, it is always a must to watch it until the end. We all expect a happy ending for the Tamaraws. Which is the same for other Tamaraw supporters who did not study in FEU at all, they are devotees by mere UAAP fanaticism. We are this year’s main protagonist, tayo ang bida, amidst a league of heroes.

UAAP is where heroes are made, but I guess for us Tamaraws, our heroes are made in Morayta, and UAAP is just one of their battlegrounds.

See you at the Coliseum! 

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Volleyball coverage

I just came home from The Arena at San Juan City. I covered the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) vs. Far Eastern University (FEU) game in the Shakey’s V League. This is my first time to actually bring a notebook and jot down every minute detail that’s worth mentioning in an article. Instead of howling, screaming and cheering along the crowd, I was taking down notes! (as if I don’t have enough of that during lectures)

FEU’s performance during the match was neither high caliber nor weak. When I first watched the Lady Tams play back when I was still in high school, and still playing as an open/quick spiker for the Doves, their weakness was lack of variation with their offense.

I recall Rachel Ann Daquis unleashing strong wallops against De La Salle University (DLSU) but the Archers remain undaunted despite vigorous attemts. Aside from the fact that the Archers’ line-up then was very strong, FEU’s play was too readable. The play executed by the younger Daquis was consistent—too consistent. Her spikes were strong but the problem was the predictable trajectory, making it easy for the opponent establish a prepared reception. This is the prime reason why she was shadowed by the likes of Balse, Carolino and even Pimentel back then.

Pimentel, on the other hand, is a cross-court spiker. Given her height she usually spikes above the block formed by her opponents. During the early half of the V League, Pimentel was unstoppable. However, after the preliminaries, DLSU put an end to Pimentel’s reign. It was when the three-man block of Carolino, Saet and Hernandez was formed. Carolino being a high jumper was the most effective blocker against Pimentel’s height. This reduced the over-the-block spikes from the tigress. Cross-court spikes has one special attribute that open spikes don’t have, it’s the ball's side rotation. Since cross-court’s are most often hit on the side, the ball has a different rotation which provides a side-track bounce after hitting a block. This was Pimentel’s foundation and the prime point collector for UST. DLSU’s answer to that were Saet and Hernandez who were usually alongside high-jumper Carolino. With the three’s high percentage of blocking Pimentel, the cross-court pointer was reduced or rather nulled. And the three was tagged as La Salle’s Great Wall of China.

Balse’s spikes have evident follow-throughs. This is the closing of the fingers after the palm hits the ball. This style provides the down direction of the tri-colored ball. Balse’s follow-throughs were just flawless. She was the only one who was able to break the strong block of Laborte, then Philppine Sports Commission team, and of Saet, Hernandez, and Carolino of DLSU. Balse was unquestionably Carolino’s rival during that season. If Carolino’s spikes are fast, hers was strong. Carolino was also a hard hitter but Balse’s strength is of higher grade. With Pimentel unable to break La Salle’s three-man block Balse stepped up, together with Bernal. Despite the strength, Balse’s spikes was one that Penano, La Salle’s libero, is able to receive well.

Michelle Carolino’s fame was ignited during that season. There’s no question why she was awarded MVP. She moves fast, jumps high, and is able to vary her offensive strikes. Carolino’s spikes have three traits: these are; direction, speed and strength. Another lingering quality is intimidation. I did not include it above because not all players are affected by this. Carolino’s high jumps can cause intimidation, imagine her above you, about to hit a ball that could replace your head. Her spikes’ direction is unpredictable to the opponent. She has the ability to place her shots well.

This is what improved in Daquis during the last UAAP season. Variety in attacks is essential for any game. If your moves are read well by the opponent, it reduces the pointing power of your attacks. Speed…need I say more? Strength in spikes is not caused by hard hitting alone. Since Carolino is adept in carrying her weight when jumping she can also transfer this to the ball.

Watching FEU play earlier, they were able to maintain the variety in attacks which was not present in their play long before. Semana, former Lady Tam captain, specialized in variety. Daquis was also able to add this flavor to her attacks. Her spikes also became faster and damn well stronger. This change dealt the UAAP championship to FEU. These were retained with the current Lady Tams headed by Morada. But the problem is exactness of their attacks. The Lady Jaguars of Recoletos initially had to cope with FEU’s game. This is why FEU attained a 2-1 set point lead against the Cebuanos. However, by the fourth set, the Lady Jaguars were already able to read the play of the Lady Tams. Cabanag was effectively blocked during the fourth set which is not the case during the first two sets. She launched two cross-court spikes only to be set perfectly to a strong Sabas. Morada bombarded the Lady Jaguars but to no avail she was blocked effectively more than once. Gonzalez had to try harder to get her attacks through compared to her easy pointer down-the-line spikes during the second set.

The Lady Tams weren’t weakened; they just need to be unpredictable.

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Basketball is Not the Only Sport

The FEU quadrangle after the rain

On a daily basis for the past week, news about a suggested merger between the country’s two famous collegiate leagues, the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and the National College Athletic Association (NCAA), was published on newspapers. I’m not against the idea but it casts an old and extensive shadow over other sports included in the said leagues. These are two very old and traditional leagues with very established identities.

I don’t have a good view of the NCAA, but like in the UAAP, I do know that these leagues are composed of other sports. The idea of merging the two leagues just because of promoting Basketball (once again) somewhat discards the presence of the other sports. Though the ‘merger’ as stated in the Inquirer is still issue-stricken and will need to be talked over by UAAP, NCAA and BAP-Samahan ng Basketbol officials, they shouldn’t shun other competitive sports aside.

  

During my senior days in high school, there was a boom in the popularity of volleyball in the country. This I credit to Shakey’s V league where collegiate women’s volleyball teams competed regardless if they’re UAAP or NCAA member schools. Those whose name resounded strongly with the crowd or on the statistics sheet were the ones chosen to be part of the Philippine Volleyball Team. I don’t have the exact timeline when the likes of Michelle Carolino from De La Salle University and Mary Jean Balse from the University of Santo Tomas have battled against other Asian contenders.

  

And volleyball is just one of the other sports.

There are still other sports where Filipinos exhibit skill and competitiveness but the limelight seem to deny them recognition as the cheers ring loud for Basketball. Not that I’m against the game. In fact, I enjoy watching the basketball games in Araneta. I’ve accepted that basketball is a national sport and a pivotal part of our culture. What I’m trying drive at though, is for shoots to share the fame with smashes, high kicks, goals, spikes and checkmates.

  

The adrenalin-rush, fascination, gasping, yelling, cheering and crowd-wowing stunts are not limited in a Basketball court.

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