All the self-doubt and self-questioning were worth it for De La Salle University assistant coach Noel Orcullo.
It was Orcullo whom head coach Ramil de Jesus tagged as the interim coach for the entire first round.
Orcullo, a long-time deputy of De Jesus, naturally had doubts about whether he could do it the way the latter does. After all, the Lady Spikers’ program is the most successful in the past two decades, having won 11 championships and finishing as runners-up seven times.
And now, make that 12 titles as La Salle defeated National University on Sunday in yet another epic five-set clash – this time in front of more than 20,000 fans inside the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
“Sobrang grateful. Napakasarap kasi nung first round na wala nga si Coach Ramil ako yung nakaupo bilang interim coach, kahit papaano naitawid ko naman,” shared Orcullo on this gold medal, his eighth with the Lady Spikers personally.
“Una pa lang na binigay niya sa akin yung task nagduda ako sa sarili ko pero sinabi niya (De Jesus), ‘Kaya mo yan!'”
In the second round, De Jesus returned to the sidelines, and the lethal coaching tandem of La Salle reunited. The pair made in-game adjustments and off-court tweaks en route to the championship.
It was a long journey back to the top for the Lady Spikers after settling for bronze in Season 81 before the pandemic hit the world. Then they failed to stop the rampaging Lady Bulldogs last year and managed to secure silver.
To be back on the throne, and to get their revenge over their modern-day rival National U, it was a feeling like no other for Orcullo and the whole team.
“Sobrang saya after five years na hindi kami nag champion, yun nga naudlot yung four-peat ito nakabalik na naman sa napakahirap na paraan pero napakasarap na pakiramdam,” he said.
“Nakuha sa tiyaga, yun nga yung lagi naming sinasabi sa mga bata wag tayong magsasawa magtiyaga at makukuha rin natin ito. Champion na naman.”
Hard work and perseverance were evident for La Salle in both games of the series as rookie MVP Angel Canino and her teammates fought back from significant deficits on both occasions.
The Lady Spikers fought back in Game 1, winning 18-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-21, 15-13 before making a remarkable comeback in Game 2.
The Lady Bulldogs seemed poised to force a Game 3 after winning the first two sets, 25-19, 25-23, but La Salle came back in the next three sets to claim victory, 25-15, 25-17, 15-10.
“Last season talagang sobrang dominating sila eh, siguro dahil sa tagal nilang magkakasama and short preparation lang kami. Yun nga sabi namin by next year sigurado makapagpeprepare tayo nang maayos, makakasabay na tayo diyan.”
