“The Curse Has Been Broken”
Those were the playful first words of University of Santo Tomas head coach Odjie Mamon after his squad’s 25-22, 25-22, 16-25, 25-22 victory over De La Salle University on Saturday.
The so-called “curse” was an inside joke referring to Josh Ybañez, who finally secured his first win in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Tournament.
In UST’s season opener, Ybañez suffered a Grade 2 right ankle sprain in the fourth set, forcing the Golden Spikers to surrender to the FEU Tamaraws, 25-20, 22-25, 16-25, 20-25.
The two-time MVP then had to sit out the next four games while recovering — ironically, a period when UST found its stride, winning four straight matches.
But when Ybañez returned to the court, the Golden Spikers suffered three consecutive losses to Ateneo de Manila University, National University, and FEU, fueling the lighthearted belief that his comeback had triggered a “curse.”
While the team treated it as a joke, Ybañez admitted that it truly felt like one. Now, with the weight finally lifted, he can breathe a sigh of relief.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“For me, yes, siguro pinaparusahan ako — pero hindi. Sobrang na-touch ako sa mga coaches, kay coach Odjie na that’s not the reason daw. Nafi-feel niya ako and dinamayan niya lang ako, and mas tinaasan niya yung tiwala niya sa akin,” said the Season 85 Rookie MVP.
“Of course, may doubts. Hindi naman maiwasan yun, pero yung mga doubts na yun nandiyan lang siya. Mas nag-focus ako sa kung ano yung mga bagay na makakapag-move forward ako at mao-overcome ko yung doubts na yun.”
During UST’s three-game skid that dropped them to a 4-4 record, Mamon also felt uneasy — especially after confidently declaring before the season that his roster was the strongest in the league.
Still, he took the challenge head-on, knowing his ace player was struggling mentally. With the rest of the Golden Spikers rallying together, they worked to solve the puzzle behind their slump.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Actually, I hit the panic button. Even me, I was losing confidence also, pero siyempre I’m very thankful for my coaching staff, ‘yung admin namin,” Mamon admitted.
“One thing lang na inayos ay ‘yung mental aspect ng players kasi I was worried Josh might be down. Actually, he was feeling down, pero as a coach, ang pwede kong itulong sa kanya ay yung tiwala ko sa kanya at confidence ko sa buong team na we can get through the slump. It was a collective effort.”
Now that the doubts have been set aside, the pride of General Santos City — finally playing at full strength — feels determined to take UST to another level with the Final Four fast approaching.
“Of course, super motivated ako ngayon kasi nanalo kami at nandoon ang momentum. Ang sa amin na lang ay yung consistency and how we keep that momentum high,” said Ybañez.
#WATCH: Josh Ybanez opens up about his doubts during UST’s slump but proves resilience as they finally break the skid 🏐
📹 @justinvalencia_ /Tiebreaker Times#UAAPSeason87 pic.twitter.com/4OHUuQuQKo
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 29, 2025
