Last UAAP season, both De La Salle University and Far Eastern University advanced to the Final Four but fell short of their goal to bring home the men’s volleyball crown.
The Tamaraws secured the top seed heading into the semifinals but squandered their twice-to-beat advantage, being eliminated by the fourth-seeded UST Golden Spikers.
Meanwhile, the Green Spikers were overpowered by the NU Bulldogs.
Determined to bounce back, both squads made strong statements in the V-League Men’s Collegiate Challenge.
FEU claimed its first-ever title in the pre-season tournament, while La Salle had a respectable run, securing the silver medal.
Now, both the Tamaraws and the Green Spikers are aiming to build on this momentum as they prepare for another shot at men’s volleyball glory in the upcoming Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference, set to begin on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
Despite FEU’s V-League success, head coach Ed Orcullo is keen on keeping his players grounded, knowing the heightened competition they’ll face in Spikers’ Turf.
“Hindi kami titigil kasi syempre Spikers Turf na in a week or two. Back to the drawing board ulit kasi ang kalaban namin, talagang makakatunggali mo doon,” Orcullo shared about the opportunity of competing in the conference backed by
ArenaPlus, Mikasa, and Alpha Insurance & Surety Company.
“Marami tayo makukuhang experience at learnings doon ‘eh, kaya siguro trabaho lang ulit.”
Tamaraws team captain Jelord Talisayan feels excited about the valuable experience his team can gain from the Spikers’ Turf, which he believes will be crucial for their UAAP title bid next season.
Talisayan also hopes that FEU can not only improve upon their sixth-place finish in the 2023 Spikers’ Turf Invitational, but also bring home another championship to Morayta.
“Doon kami huhugot ng learnings na pwede namin i-apply papunta ng UAAP. Parati ko dinadasal,” shared Talisayan, the reigning V-League Best Outside Spiker.
“Wala naman imposible ‘eh, gusto ko ngayong taon tatlong championship makukuha namin.”
On the La Salle side, head coach Jose Roque is tempering expectations for his team’s upcoming run in Spikers’ Turf.
He stressed the importance of developing team chemistry – a critical factor for success in both the pre-season and the UAAP.
This focus on chemistry comes as the Green Spikers field a revamped roster, featuring talents like Eugene Gloria, Chris Hernandez, and Joshua Magalaman, among others.
“Since this tournament is on another level, maybe yung team chemistry ang goal namin at mas tutukan namin na walang doubt,” Roque explained.
“[The] skills and techniques are there, but the character of each individual is somehow weak considering my team is young, expecting also that they learned from the V-League.”
La Salle standout Noel Kampton hopes to bring the lessons he learned as part of Alas Pilipinas Men to guide his Green Spikers in their Spikers’ Turf campaign.
Under the mentorship of Italian head coach Angiolino Frigoni, Kampton plans to apply the knowledge he gained from Alas Pilipinas’ training camp in Italy, their SEA V-League stint, and their invitational matches against Osaka Bluteon.
“Dadalhin ko sa Spikers Turf ay yung maturity ko sa court. Iga-guide ko na lang talaga sila and kung ano na-experience na dala ko – lalo na yung nag-training camp kami, nag-SEA V-League – and yung nakalaban namin yung mga Japanese, sobrang ganda talaga na exposure sa akin,” Kampton shared.
“Ibang-iba talaga yung training sa collegiate compared sa national team kasi iba talaga yung coaches doon ‘eh, sobrang high-level.”
