Roger Gorayeb combines the wit of a stand-up act, the self-realizations of a Sunday morning gospel, and the wisdom in an old-fashioned scolding into his post-game scrums.
When the National University Lady Bulldogs’ head coach half-reluctantly plopped into the FilOil Flying V Centre press room after his team lost in heart-breaking fashion to the Philippine Air Force Jet Spikers, he gave his frank assessment of his team in the on-going Shakey’s V-League Open Conference.
On expectations and moving on
The Lady Bulldogs went through a tumultuous UAAP Season 78, crashing and burning right when it seemed they would shine.
Saying goodbye to seniors and removing other players, the Lady Bulldogs now carry a lighter aura in the SVL. But their record still shows otherwise.
NU should be better than 2-3. All of their three loses came to club teams (or selection teams as Gorayeb likes to call them). The ladies from Sampaloc consistently had the early leg up, getting to two sets ahead of their foes, only to play atrociously in the final two frames.
“Against these club teams, palagi kaming nauuna sa dalawang set,” Gorayeb recalled. “Pagdating nang fourth set, lagi kaming talo. Ayan ang tinatanong ko sa kanila, ‘Ano ang nangyayari pag fourth set?’ Pagdating nang fifth set, lagi kaming mababa ang nilalaro. Yan ang gusto kong malagapasan nila. Ako, kahit talo, okay ako.”
Gorayeb rued the way his seniors played through the tough stretches of the match. Yet, the decorated mentor knows exactly why his players lose steam late in matches.
“Kung sino yung senior player, yun yung di maka-receive, di makadepensa. Dapat alisin na nila yung mga multo sa buhay nila ng nakaraan – di tayo makaka-move on. We don’t lose games kasi super strong ang kalaban, we lose games because we lack the heart to win. Pero, kahit matalo tayo, we should become stronger,” Gorayeb insisted.
“Siguro, in previous seasons nila sa UAAP, nagkaroon sila ng shadow of doubt – parang may multo sila na nalagpasan na nila pero, parang once in a while, binabangungot sila ng mga yan tapos bumabalik doon sa dati. Yan ang biggest obstacle na dapat malagpasan namin,” he continued.
Cohesion for his depleted is vital. In a sport like volleyball where a net separates opponents, almost isolating players in an island with their teammates, Gorayeb touched on the unique internal struggles team have to conquer.
“Sa basketball at ibang events, ang nag-aaway ang magkakalaban. Sa volleyball, ang nag-aaway dito ang teammates. Di ko naman sinasabing literal na nag-aaway sila (NU), makikita mo lang sa kanila parang nahihiya na sila isa’t isa sa mga nangyayari,” he compared. “Wala lang talaga sa akin na matalo, basta matuto kami.”
The status of injured Aiko Urdas
Winger, Aiko Urdas has arguably the most challenging past two years of any Lady Bulldog. Returning from an ACL tear, Urdas noticeably lacked spring in her jump in Season 78.
Early in the SVL season, Urdas injured her foot, sidelining her from the past NU outings.
“Si Aiko, ayaw kong isugal. Gusto ko one hundred percent na siya bago ko palaruin,” Gorayeb said. “Malaking bagay kasi sa ganyan yung psychological factor. Kaya niya na maglaro sa bunganga, pero pag naglalaro na iisipin niya na yung paa niya so gusto kong one percent na siyang nageensayo na. I’m looking at the bigger picture na sa mga susunod na laro, doon ko siya makakailangan.”
Gorayeb admits that his spiker is often left frustrated of her situation but he is saving her for the meaningful matches towards the end of the season.
“Madalas na siyang naiiyak kasi gustong-gusto niya na maglaro, hindi siya makalaro. Siya, gigil na gigil na siya. Yan ang critical point sa tournament na ‘to para sa amin, na maibalik ko siya nan aka-focus sa ginagawa niya.”
The make-shift setter Jasmine Nabor
Gorayeb lost all of his setters from the UAAP with Asi Soliven and Ivy Perez exhausting their laying years and Rica Diolan transferring to NCAA powerhouse College of Saint Benilde.
He, however, struck gold in converting young utility hitter Jasmine Nabor to setter. Instead of stumbling into her new postiong, Nabor has played splendidly, able to score off second touches, block steadily, while keeping her offense spread. Currently, Nabor is second in excellent sets per frame but she performed erratically in their loss to Air Force.
“Sabi ko nga kay Jas (Nabor), between one to ten, ang rating ko lang sayo ngayon ay four,” Gorayeb told. “Kasi ang utak niya di gumagana as a setter. Naiisip niya na ‘Uy, ibibigay ko na lang ‘to sa kanya’. Parang safety-safety lang ang pag-seset niya tapos nagseset na siya nang mataas ulet.”
Although Gorayeb has Fil-Am setter coming in later this month that could replace Nabor in the starting six, the SVL triple-crown coach still wants to keep working on Nabor’s playmaking.
“I always tell her na walang ate sa loob ng court, ikaw ang magdadala sa spiker mo. Ikaw ang gumawa ng atake, huwag sila ang gagawa. Hindi sila ang gagawa ang mag-iisip para sayo, ikaw ang mag-isip para sa kanila,” Gorayeb said.
“Makukuha ni Jas kasi madali ko siyang matuturuan kasi galing sa hindi setter tapos gagawin mong setter so lahat ng sasabihin ko, kuha niya. Whereas, kung dati na siyang setter tapos papalitan ko yung bad habits niya, ang harapin iwasto. Sabi nga sa tagalog, ‘magbaluktot ka nang tuwid na bakal kesa magtuwid ka nang baluktot na bakal,’” he continued.
No communication barrier with Fil-Japanese dynamo Risa Sato
The biggest addition to the Lady Bulldogs has been versatile hitter Risa Sato. Gorayeb had recruited Sato when he was still coaching the Ateneo Lady Eagles. But tough circumstances happened and Sato followed him to National U.
Sato can understand English and Tagalog but still has slight trouble communicating through either language. Still, Sato’s will to win on the court transcends languages.
“Si Sato kasi nakaka-intindi nang tagalog yan. Kapag alam kong medyo mahirap, tinatanong ko lang ‘ok lang Risa? Naintindihan mo?’ Kapag umiling yan, naintindihan niya na ‘yun. Kasi volleyball naman yan – mata-mata lang, senyas-senyas lang,” Gorayep quipped.
Sato is skilled to the brim – moving around the court with ease and keeping balls alive. Her scoring, Gorayeb stated, will come in time when she and her setters become better acquainted.
More than anything, Gorayeb wants his team to absorb Sato’s fighting spirit.
“Si Sato kasi, iba ang karakter niyan, palaban. Yung mga teammates niya kasi nakikitaan niya na parang umaayaw. Yung karakter ni Sato ang gusto kong makuha nilang lahat,” he closed.
