Before De La Salle University even stepped on the court for Game 1 of the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Women’s Volleyball Finals, the conversation had already drifted back in time — inevitably circling a painful chapter from the program’s past and whether this new generation of Lady Spikers would be forced to relive it.
That reference point was Season 76, when La Salle stormed through the elimination round only to falter at the finish line, falling to archrival Ateneo de Manila University in the championship series despite sweeping the preliminaries.
Rather than sidestep that memory, Lady Spikers head coach Ramil De Jesus leaned into it. He turned a past heartbreak into fuel, using it as a constant reminder of what can happen when momentum slips at the worst possible moment.
His players responded in kind, opening the Finals with a commanding sweep of the NU Lady Bulldogs.
“Yung Season 76, bangungot sa team ‘yun eh — yung panahon nila Aby [Maraño],” said De Jesus. “Na-sweep namin yung eliminations pero yung Ateneo lumaban hanggang dulo. So sabi ko, ayoko na maulit ‘yun. Every year naman, sabi ko sa kanila, kung sino yung nag-champion, ‘yun yung paghahandaan namin.
“So eto na yung situation; ito na yung pagkakataon na makabalik kami. Kaharap namin ang NU, so kailangan paghandaan. Hindi naman lahat nabibigyan ng opportunity na mag-Finals,” he added.
“Nauna tayo, kailangan pangatawanan natin ‘to.”
La Salle last saw action on April 19, clinching a Finals berth after completing an elimination-round sweep against NU. The 17-day gap that followed, according to De Jesus, was both a blessing and a challenge. It gave the team time to recover from a demanding stretch, but also threatened to dull their competitive rhythm.
That rust showed early in Game 1.
The Lady Spikers found themselves trailing 14-19 in the opening set before Amie Provido, Lilay del Castillo, and Angel Canino sparked a late surge. Their timely response flipped the set in La Salle’s favor, 25-23, setting the tone for a dominant finish in the next two frames.
A slower start could have easily shifted momentum toward NU, but this La Salle squad made sure the match never slipped into dangerous territory for long.
“Para sa akin, mayroong disadvantage at advantage yung pahinga namin,” said De Jesus. “Unang-una, sinasabi ko nga sa team na mahirap [ang] stepladder kasi nama-master ng teams yung pressure sa loob, samantalang tayo nandito, nakapahinga. So ‘yun yung advantage ng ibang team — na at least yung pressure naha-handle na nila. Kami, tune-up lang, pero wala doon yung pressure.
“So sabi ko sa kanila, kailangan masabayan lang natin. Ang nakita ko kanina, medyo mabagal yung start namin and eventually, nung latter part ng set, nakaka-adjust na yung team and nakakasabay na sa ganoong klase ng labanan. And siguro naha-handle na nila yung pressure — ‘yun yung nakita ko nung first set.”
Now just one win away from the crown they last captured in Season 85, La Salle has a chance to not only secure its 13th championship but also complete its first undefeated Finals sweep since Season 67.
Beyond the numbers, though, this Finals run carries a deeper weight — a chance to finally close the chapter on Season 76. The memory may never fully disappear, but moments like these have a way of reshaping how it is remembered.
With Game 2 looming, De Jesus is keeping his message simple: stay grounded, stay ready, and expect nothing less than another fight from NU.
“Wala nang ibang gagawin. Basta kami, kung ano yung ginawa naming preparation, tuloy lang,” he said. “Alam naman namin na yung NU, hindi nababago galaw nila — matalo, manalo, iisa lang yung galaw. Beterano yung setter and yung mga spikers nandoon naman; hindi masasabing mahina.
“Even yung mga second stringers nila, pwede mo gamitin, malakas talaga eh. So talagang maganda yung pinakita ng NU, pero mas ginusto ng mga bata.”
