Michael Cariño is very familiar with the College of Saint Benilde Lady Blazers.
He not only recruited most of their current players; Cariño also gave the program its first-ever NCAA championship back in Season 91.
It was an incredibly unlikely run. Cariño’s Lady Blazers had to battle all the way up the stepladder to take down a thrice-to-beat San Sebastian College-Recoletos squad.
Now, Cariño finds himself trying to take down the Lady Blazers with his first volleyball home in University of Perpetual Help System DALTA.
The Lady Altas, the fourth seeds in the Season 94 Final Four, closed in on a Finals spot after stripping top-seeded Benilde of their twice-to-beat incentive.
Cariño knows the road to make history. And he believes his Lady Altas can definitely win the championship, since the win against Benilde reinforces his confidence.
“Isa na lang, isa na lang. Gagawa tayo ng history ulit!
“Ngayon happy ulit ako, magse-serve ako sa Perpetual. Gagawa ako ng history sa babae naman, kasi sobrang tagal na rin – ilang taon na rin na wala sa championship. Happy ako kasi malay mo, isang game na lang, abot kami ng Finals. Pagdating ng Finals, malay mo kami ang mag-champion, diba? Walang imposible, basta gusto namin ang ginagawa namin,” he shared.
The Lady Altas dissected the Lady Blazers through solid target serving. The strategy worked until Benilde settled in the last two sets. Perpetual’s fourth set comeback stemmed from pure belief in each other and their system.
“Sabi ko sa kanila, kung gusto nating umabot ng Finals, aralin natin yun. Focus doon tayo sa kalaban natin, plus trabahuhin natin kung ano atake natin. First two sets, naging effective. Medyo nag-lay low lang pagdating ng third set,” furthered Carino, a protege of Sammy Acaylar.
“Buti na lang in the fourth set, parang yung swerte, on our side diba? Siguro swerte na rin kami, kasi siguro tama rin yun kung paano ka naghanda, paano ka nag-prepara, paano ka nag-sakripisyo sa ginawa mo. Maganda ang naging resulta.”
