In the first round of Season 88, the UP Fighting Maroons earned their first win over the Ateneo Blue Eagles in UAAP women’s volleyball since Season 80.
It was a long time coming for the UP Fighting Maroons as they snapped an 11-game losing streak against the Ateneo Blue Eagles in UAAP women’s volleyball.
Prior to their thrilling reverse sweep win on Sunday, where they clawed back from a 0-2 deficit for their second win of UAAP Season 88, the Fighting Maroons had lost all their assignments against their Katipunan neighbors since 2019.
[RELATED: UAAP: UP completes reverse sweep to end 11-game losing streak vs Ateneo]
For UP veteran Niña Ytang, it was a change in the team’s desire to finally get over the hump.
“Yung gustong manalo talaga. Minsan po, sabi ko nga kanina, 'yung energy minsan bumababa. Hindi agad lumalabas. Pero, napapakita naman agad eh. 'Yung talagang, dapat alalahanin na gustong gusto namin manalo,” she said about the win.
“Kaya lagi talaga namin mina-manifest 'yan na oras na para ilipat ang korona sa kabilang side ng Katipunan.”
Ytang had yet to defeat Ateneo in her five-year career with UP prior to Sunday’s win, with the last win of the Fighting Maroons coming in April 2018, where the team still featured now-PVL veterans Tots Carlos and Isa Molde.
Fighting to the end
But the win was easier said than done, with the Fighting Maroons needing to dig deep after falling flat in the first two sets of the game.
According to Ytang, it was more of a mind game, especially since the Fighting Maroons are dealing with injuries left and right that limited their arsenal in the first two games of the season.
“Actually, our sports psychologist nagsabi sa'min na actually from the warm-up, my energy was too high. And I guess I just had to share that energy to everyone and calm myself. I think that's what changed the whole game,” said Ytang.
“'Yun kailangan talaga namin itaas 'yung energy talaga namin and thankful ako sa mga seniors din talaga. They were there the whole game. Si Ate Joan [Monares], [she was there to] guide us the whole game and Fabio [Menta], and the whole coaching staff,” she continued.
UP will hope to ride the momentum of their first two wins, especially with bigger, better teams coming their way.
The Fighting Maroons face a quick turnaround against red-hot La Salle in a battle of undefeated teams on Wednesday, February 25, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.