University of Santo Tomas extended its winning streak to four in the men's division of the 2023 V-League Collegiate Challenge after its first-game defeat against De La Salle University.
That loss served as a wake-up call for the Golden Spikers, who aim to surpass their silver medal finishes in both the V-League and the UAAP. For team captain Dux Yambao, it's all about trusting the system.
"In that match against La Salle, coach (Odjie Mamon) took us out as if to say that if we didn't follow his system, then we shouldn't be playing for him. Our teammates showed us how the system works, but we came up short," the setter shared.
During the intensive training that followed, UST knew they needed to buckle down and work hard to avoid a similar situation. Yambao admitted that the squad still occasionally reverted to their old habits.
On Sunday, the Thomasians had to mount comebacks in the first and second sets against their rival, Far Eastern University, with scores of 25-22 and 26-24.
The Tamaraws managed to win one set at 25-20 in the third before reigning UAAP MVP Josh Ybañez took charge in the fourth and final set with a score of 25-18.
"Sometimes, there were lapses in execution, but we tried to get back on track with the new system our coaches are trying to implement," the playmaker believed.
He continued, citing instances in the match, "One thing is that we're so used to the old system that we tend to backslide, and another is that we have doubts about what to follow. But if we follow the old one, it just doesn't fit right, so we really need to stick with the new one."
With the proper system in play, Yambao and the rest of the Golden Spikers believe that the time has come for the squad to achieve gold.
"We believe that this is our biggest chance of winning a championship. I have high trust and confidence in the team that we can finally get a title; we just have to follow what our coaches want us to do. If we stick to the plan, a championship will come."
