When Ateneo de Manila University took the court for the last preliminary-round match in the 2023 V-League Collegiate Challenge against rival De La Salle University, it was still all business for the squad, despite it being a no-bearing one in terms of standings.
Their head coach, Timothy Sto. Tomas, always emphasized that every game is crucial in the continued learning process of the team, which is gunning for redemption in the upcoming UAAP season.
Jian Salarzon, one of the Blue Eagles' prolific scorers, said that was the same mentality they brought to this game. "Our mindset was that we had to still go all out and see how far we could go against La Salle. There, we would see where we lack and be able to work on it in our next games against them."
The result was a resounding sweep of the Green Spikers, 25-17, 26-24, 25-15, with the UAAP 85 beach volleyball top rookie contributing 11 points through eight attacks and three timely blocks.
"I just followed the coach's instructions and made the adjustments I needed to on the court. There may still be some lapses on my part, but the good thing is that my teammates were there to compensate for those mistakes," Salarzon shared.
Nonetheless, despite the win, Ateneo knows that the job is just getting started, and for them to get back on top means getting the most they can from this V-League experience.
"This V-League is really a gauge for us to understand our advantages in the next UAAP season, and, most importantly, the skills and systems we need to polish. We will be able to see what we still need to work on personally and as a team."
