Greg Ancheta relished the opportunity to face his mentor, Jessie Lopez, as National University-Archipelago Builders cruised to a dominant victory over the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Saturday.
Ancheta admitted that going up against Lopez for the first time was a special experience, as he hoped the lessons he learned from the Bulldogs assistant coach were evident in his performance against the Cavaliers.
“Siyempre, unang beses ko ’tong nakalaban si Coach Jess (Lopez). Natutuwa ako kasi I hope na nakikita niya yung mga tinuturo niya sa akin. Nagpapasalamat ako,” said Ancheta following NU’s 25-14, 25-16, 25-19 win over AFP at the Philsports Arena.
Ancheta has been under Lopez’s wing since joining the Bulldogs last year. The 22-year-old playmaker credited the assistant coach with helping shape his approach to the game, particularly his mindset, courage, and composure in challenging situations.
The lessons, he said, have been especially valuable as he continues to develop his game and assume greater responsibilities heading into his fourth year in the UAAP.
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“Tinuturo niya sa akin is yung mindset and kung paano magiging matapang maglaro, and paano mag-iisip pagdating sa mahirap na sitwasyon ng laro,” said Ancheta, who also represented Alas Pilipinas earlier this year.
Ancheta finished with 19 excellent sets against AFP, orchestrating NU’s balanced offensive attack as the Bulldogs dominated the Cavaliers.
His growth was also evident in how he responded to NU’s first setback against defending champion Criss Cross. The young setter worked on his decision-making and composure to help the Bulldogs bounce back and return to winning form.
“Unang una po, tinrabaho namin ‘yung service saka reception namin kasi dun kami nagkulang, kaya nahihirapan po kami makakuha ng defense dun sa laro namin against Criss Cross,” said Ancheta.
“For me, as setter, naging problema ko rin talaga nung game ng Criss Cross is masyado akong nagmamadali. So nag-mindset ako na kailangan kalmahan ko lang para hindi rin magbago ‘yung tempo ng laro.”
