The De La Salle Lady Spikers dethroned the National University Lady Bulldogs on Sunday to bring back the women’s volleyball title to Taft—its home in 11 of the past 25 years.
Not coincidentally, one figure looms large in those 25 years: Ramil de Jesus, the legendary coach who led La Salle to the promised land 11 times in a little over two decades.
That track record is impressive to say the least. For former La Salle great Aby Maraño, it is the resumé of the GOAT, or greatest of all time.
Amid the euphoria of the Lady Spikers’ latest title conquest, this time against a most formidable foe in NU, the two-time UAAP MVP under de Jesus caught up with her former coach in the La Salle dugout post-game for a keepsake: a picture of two La Salle legends side-by-side, basking in the glow of a return to glory.
Maraño later on posted the picture on Instagram, where part of her caption—“Iba ang GOAT mga lumots"—declared de Jesus the greatest coach in local women’s volleyball.
Now one of the country’s top professional volleybelles, Maraño also detailed part of her interaction with de Jesus, and it gives a revealing look at the mind of a many-time champion right after assaulting the mountaintop for the nth time in his career.
“We asked CRDJ how does it feel na CHAMPION ulit,” Maraño wrote on Instagram. “Habang hawak niya 'yung gold medal 🥇 sobrang chill lang while saying ‘Wala namang bago.’ Sabay kamot ng ulo na may ngiti sa labi at pa-dimples pa.”
Read Maraño’s tribute to her former coach here:
The multi-titled coach can smile all he wants. He is a living legend, after all—and, quite possibly, the GOAT.
(GM)