WITH THE Blue Eagles concluding their quest to defend the crown with a decisive finals win over the National University (NU) Bulldogs and the Lady Eagles falling short of a much-expected three-peat with a tragic loss to the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 78 Volleyball tournaments ended on a bittersweet note for both defending champions.

Despite failing to secure the top spots, both teams maintained a forward-looking mentality through the loss, and viewed the situation as an invaluable opportunity to grow and to rebuild—a catalyst to rewrite the blueprints to stage another attempt at glory next year.

Previous seasons have seen these Eagles take on a Cinderella narrative of improbable runs and miraculous finishes. And although those memories still resonate in this year’s path to their podium finishes, the tale of greater significance has been some of these Eagles’ final flight and the teams’ plans moving forward.

Takeoff and landing

Having dominated both divisions of the tournament the previous year, the Blue and Lady Eagles had many of their objectives established for them even before Season 78 began, with both squads aiming to maintain a reputation of superiority by keeping the their titles.

In order to ensure that his plan of action would triumph in the long run, Blue Eagles Head Coach Oliver Almadro put into effect a program that targeted both the physical and emotional aspects of the Men’s game, fortifying the team’s well-tested foundation by concentrating greater effort into their conditioning and fundamentals, while still building a winning attitude throughout his squad. The multi-titled coach also sought to develop the team’s dynamic in the preseason by instilling a positive mindset among his wards, keeping them motivated, grounded, and dependent on each other as they underwent the ups and downs of another shot at the gold.

Trust and camaraderie were of utmost value to Almadro’s coaching philosophy, as he believes that, although individual awards can single out players and undervalue team success, mutual reliance on the court founded on teamwork and family remains the key to victory. “Positive thinking is equal to positive results,” Almadro explains. “They had to believe that they were worthy of their own achievements so the mindset that was important was trust and that no brother would be left behind.”

The Lady Eagles, on the other hand, faced a different struggle entering Season 78. According to Assistant Coach Timmy Sto. Tomas, the key losses of two graduating stars from the previous year’s championship squad was one of the biggest setbacks the Blue and White faced. The absence of Ella de Jesus and Season 77’s Best Receiver Dennise Lazaro was a hurdle that the team aimed to overcome in their defense of the crown, with the on-court presence of mainstays Alyssa Valdez, Amy Ahomiro, and Bea de Leon stepping up in place of the graduating seniors.

“Players come and go, and there’s always the need to find a way to fill the spaces left behind,” shares Sto. Tomas. “But luckily we made the finals even without two key players from last season, so the mindset was to take whatever we had, and go with it.”

Despite both teams topping their respective elimination rounds across both divisions to earn the first seeds heading into the Final Four, their attempts to maintain the title was no walk in the park; both teams suffered from their fair share of challenges that turned the path to the finals into a roller coaster of a journey.

For the Blue Eagles, setter Karlo Martin Santos was excluded from the lineup after being sidelined by injury. Fortunately, rookie setter Lawrence Gil Magadia was able to deliver beyond expectations in the absence of the benched Santos, while commanding displays by veterans Ish Polvoroza and Marck Espejo helped fuel the Eagles’ reclamation of the gold.

Meanwhile, the Lady Eagles were hampered by the unexpected resurgence of their rivals and were handed two consecutive defeats by the University of the Philippines (UP) and the DLSU Lady Spikers early in first round, foreshadowing the route that the team would later take in the seedings of the Final Four. Although they swept the less-experienced UP squad during the semifinals, the Lady Eagles eventually fell to their championship rivals of the past three years, bowing to the Taft-based spikers in the fourth set of Game 3 of the UAAP finals.

Looking ahead

With a number of veterans lacing up their shoes and donning the blue and white for the last time in the UAAP, one may think that the Ateneo’s age of dominance is coming to a close.

But the setting of the sun means that another day is about to dawn, and it is one that both the Men’s and Women’s squad are prepared to face head on. According to Sto. Tomas, with the reigning three-time Most Valuable Player Valdez out of playing years, the need to improve as individuals and to play as a cohesive unit is greater than ever among the remaining members of the team, who will be operating without their primary outside hitter for the first time in five seasons.

“I think everyone should just step up,” admits Sto. Tomas. “It’s scary to fill the shoes of Alyssa, but it’s easier to win if the six players on the court are simply doing their job, even if they aren’t all superstars.”

The same goes for the Blue Eagles, who will be losing their captain and main opposite spiker Ysay Marasigan next Season 79. Almadro expresses his expectations for the rest of the team, as he seeks to enhance the depth of the bench to compensate for Marasigan’s absence by extending his arsenal of firepower. “Right now, I want my second stringers to realize that they have to step up for next year,” explains Almadro. “They must accept the challenge and the hardships that come along with it.”

As the journey draws to a dramatic close, a drastic change is sure to come for the Blue and Lady Eagles. The community of players, students, and fans will be bidding farewell to a decorated crop of spikers whose accomplishments rise well beyond the net. This graduating batch of athletes have not only garnered trophies, titles, and victories in the school’s name, but have strengthened the hearts of the student body as well, achieving honor and eminence for both institution and sport.

The departure of these veterans creates an unfathomable absence on the court and leaves behind quite a big pair of shoes to be filled. However, the greater challenge that lies ahead is the legacy to be carried on. Indeed, their last term of service sporting the name of the school marks the end of a golden era, but where one story ends, another begins. Although a few Eagles may have retired their wings, their comrades are ready to resume the flight and get the game soaring into new frontiers.