By: Czarina Agaton
University of the East team captain Lance Babon knows there’s no room for complacency, especially as he enters his final year in the UAAP High School Boys’ Volleyball Tournament.
In their third match of the season, Babon and his team went head-to-head with Final Four foe Far Eastern University-Diliman, pulling off a hard-fought victory in four tight sets: 25-23, 25-16, 27-29, 25-12.
As both a senior and the team captain, Babon led by example, tallying 14 points—12 from attacks and two service aces.
Despite dominating the first two sets, the Junior Warriors stumbled in the third set due to a breakdown in communication, which forced them into a fourth.
Babon knew they had to address this issue immediately.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Pag ganoon mga crucial game, communication lang ang katapat nung yan. Kasi natalo kami sa third set dahil sa miscommunication. Kaya, yun, kinausap ko sila, mag-communicate sila ng mag-communicate,” he shared.
Babon emphasized that clear communication and staying focused throughout the match are essential lessons he’s learned.
For him, relaxing is only an option once the final point has been scored.
“Sa game na ‘to, marami kaming natutunan ngayon. And yung pagre-relax, wala sa ano namin yun [utak], kaya kami nanalo sa game na ‘to,” he added.
As captain, Babon also sees it as his responsibility to instill toughness and courage in his teammates, preparing them for the challenges they’ll face on the court.
“Siguro, hindi lang ako, yung team ko. Papatapangin ko pala sila sa loob ng court,” he stated.
Last season, the top-seeded Junior Warriors were stunned by the NUNS Bullpups.
Meanwhile, Jan Macam has since moved to the collegiate ranks.
Despite these losses, Babon remains committed to carrying forward the lessons they learned from the previous year’s seniors.
“Siguro yung mga advice na yun, yung mga natutunan namin from last year’s seniors namin. Ina-apply lang namin ngayon para walang mabuhag sa team. And yung mga bago, ma-apply rin nila sa sarili nila yung mga tinuturo ng seniors namin,” he reflected.
