UST coach wants sense of urgency from Golden Spikers in Game 2
UST Golden Spikers during Game 1 of the UAAP Season 86 men’s volleyball Finals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — UST coach Odjie Mamon challenges his players to change their stories after last year’s result and extend the series against defending champion National University in the UAAP Season 86 men’s volleyball Finals.
The Golden Spikers got swept by the Bulldogs, 25-17, 26-24, 25-19, in Game 1 on Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Mamon lamented their missed opportunity in the second set, where their costly errors allowed NU to escape and take a two-set lead, urging the Golden Spikers to show some sense of urgency on Wednesday in Game 2.
READ: UAAP men’s volleyball: NU sweeps UST, nears four-peat
“I will challenge the players to wake up and have a sense of urgency during the match. That will be our focus on the remaining days we have to prepare for Game 2,” said the longtime UST coach in Filipino.
“My main challenges for my players are three things. They play their best, they learn and they enjoy. We lost today but we learned from our mistakes and if they realized what is right, that’s a big win for us.”
UST Golden Spikers.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
UST, the first fourth seed to reach the men’s volleyball finals, is back in a familiar situation, needing to win twice to claim the title.
READ: UST becomes first fourth seed to reach UAAP volleyball Finals
Mamon encouraged his players, led by Josh Ybañez, GBoy De Vega, and Sherwin Umandal, to stay optimistic as they fight to live another day.
“I always tell them to go back to your fundamentals, which is your foundation. And you need to have a never-say-die mindset like I will give my best, I will play my best,” he said.
Despite the loss, the UST coach was thrilled to see thousands of fans supporting men’s volleyball.
“It’s a dream come true for me. It also happened that the women’s championship has the same pairing at least the fans of the women’s team and men’s volleyball are one. It’s as exciting,” said Mamon
