I’m extremely late for the 5th Anniversary of the UAAP Season 76 championship but ABS-CBN just re-posted their throwback video on YouTube some time back, and I got the feels again.
Every now and then, I find myself going back to videos from that stepladder series, and getting awed time and time again, even if I already know what was going to happen. Every single time I watch Aly score her last three points of the game and the season in Game 4 of the Finals, chills go down my body, because in those 3 points that were beautifully orchestrated, I felt like I witnessed the blood, sweat and tears that the entire team had put in so as to toil their way into the Finals, and to the crown.
Adversity
With a newly-minted captain in Alyssa, a junior, everybody had written them off. Losing the Fab Five, having 5 out of 7 players that were not in the previous starting line-up, having only 1 out of that 5 that played some significant minutes in games of Season 75 and before, and having a coach that was with them for the very first time – and to boot, a coach with a clear language barrier with the team, the odds were stacked against them, high. People were saying, on social media et cetera, that they felt sorry that Alyssa would be graduating without a championship under her belt, after Season 75 ended with 2 sorry losses. And Aly, despite her clear prowess in attacking, had been criticized endlessly for other aspects of her game (i.e. her defence), but what was more glaring to me then, was how she was going to lead the team. Yes, she was a captain in high school, but this is different. This was collegiate, and the UAAP is intense. Watching Aly in Seasons 74 and 75, I could not imagine how she would transform herself into a leader of such a young team, because she just seemed so quiet and amiable. Growing up would be so real for her. From being the youngest in the starting line-up, to becoming the leader of the pack.
But with every obstacle they met, and with every doubt they faced, this was a team that did not know how to quit, and no matter how ridiculously outgunned they can get, they always knew how to bounce back, and bounce back hard. And this should be how we treat everything in life, where there will always be adversity. With never-say-die.
Happy?
This was a team that truly had no expectations, and sports people know this — the less pressured you are, the better you play. It’s a fact. The burden of wanting to win and being touted to win, plays a huge psychological role in how you fare, especially in roles that require extreme precision and accuracy, such as a shooter in basketball. The less you bother about whether the shot goes in, and just taking the shot, the more likely the shot will fall.
I religiously watched all the games of the Lady Eagles in Season 76, because I simply adored their fight. Sure, some games they were pretty flat, but for a team that was taking the rebuilding process completely literally because their entire core had graduated, I thought they already fared pretty well when they landed at third spot.
To be perfectly honest, I expected a finals between DLSU and NU. There was no other way, for me. But the NU that played in the stepladder against ADMU, wasn’t the NU that dominated them in the previous 2 elimination rounds. They were so burdened by the pressure of winning, that it prevented them from getting their groove. And when they won the second sets of both games so convincingly, it felt as if they wanted to repeat it in order to prove their dominance, which led to their downfall.
It didn’t help their cause that the Lady Eagles were peaking at the right time. But one of the keys in both those wins? I think it was the happy. The “no expectations” because they were third seed — expected to lose and be happy with the bronze. Because they were taking each match literally “one game at a time”, which is actually so hard to do. Because they just went on court wanting to put their best foot forward, and give it their best shot. And because they were genuinely enjoying the moments that they are on court, always smiling and encouraging, and never getting frustrated even after losing sets very terribly. Despite making a multitude of errors, they always found ways to make up for it. And the best part of that series? Probably Ella De Jesus blocking Dindin Santiago.
The same happy was evident in Game 4 of the Finals. It was probably the lightest I’ve seen the Lady Eagles all season-long, and even Aly’s struggles in the second set seemed insignificant because she was able to continuously encourage her team mates and smile. And of course, she found her groove back at the right time and fittingly set up match point to announce her return, before Amy gave DLSU a taste of their own medicine.
I believe being happy is a choice. There are many things that can upset you, but as long as you choose to remain optimistic, you would always be able to remind yourself of the better things, the blessings and the positives. You can then be happy, and always be able to face problems with a positive mindset, and overcome them. If we allow ourselves to get frustrated, stressed or angry over something, that feeling eats you up from within. And you’ll feel miserable no matter what.
Unity?
To digress a bit, I’ve always said that sports bring people together, be it athletes, or spectators. But to be honest, it’s divisive as well. A fine line exists between supporting your team and being a sour grape — a fine line that most don’t tread well. I’m not just referring to people calling the Season 76 Championship “chamba”, or the people who mocked the failed 4-peat, or the people who gloated at the failed 3-peat, or the people who laughed at 0-14 records. Many of us, being human, would probably be guilty of it. And guilty we should feel, for who gave us the right to be the judge of who’s deserving or not?
But maybe this are all part and parcel of sports, and part and parcel of human behaviour. Sometimes, I just wished people kept those thoughts to themselves, for its unfair to the athletes who have to put up with it, and it shouldn’t be their job to do so — they’re just 20-year-olds. What’s probably more disturbing is the politics surrounding the sport. So many times we’ve seen in the sporting world, athletes who practised doping, coaches who take advantage of athletes, corrupted officials…you name it, we’ve seen it. And it is truly sad, for the people who do sports, and love sports, to see something that you’re passionate about being used as a vehicle for the benefits of the people who only want the advantages for themselves.
Back to topic. The Lady Eagles, especially in Season 75, were criticised to no end because Aly was the main option of offence, and seemed like the only option because she was the only consistent scorer in the team. En route to her first Best Scorer trophy. And in Season 76, it was expected to be a similar story, and because of that, as long as teams were able to stop her, they would win. Simple logic.
They were right. It was the pretty much the same story, except come the Semifinals and Finals, so many other players stepped up, and you no longer know who’s hurting you anymore, combined with Denden wiping the floors at an even higher clip than before.
An example, back to the ADMU-NU semifinals series, because I really loved that pair of games. Those 2 games fully displayed the way the Lady Eagles in Season 76 — very faulty, but very adaptive and determined. NU was a strong team that year, and the only way the Lady Eagles could win was to follow this part of their mantra, “unity”. Unfortunately for NU, that was exactly what they did, and NU met an Alyssa Valdez and Ella De Jesus who were hell-bent on not losing both games, while many others stepped up for the Lady Eagles as well — Michelle Morente and Amy Ahomiro, with Denden and Jia remaining steady forces as always. Aly was ridiculous in this series, registering the highest block output in Game 2 amongst all individuals — with Dindin and Jaja in the fray, you’d least expect the most blocks to come from Aly. She was attacking from all cylinders, serving up aces, and helping out with the digging chores. Ella would forever be remembered for her monster block against Dindin, but for me, it was also the amount of will she showed. She was the reliable 2nd open that they needed, solid offence and defence, and she had amazing grit written all over her face. When I saw how Ella looked that day, I just felt like it was theirs to win. What about Jia, taking over the jersey number of one of the best setters Ateneo ever had, and making it seem like Jem Ferrer never left? Denden was also such a steady presence on defence, also leading and encouraging her team as the most battle-tested senior on the floor. And Aerieal Patnongon, though her numbers don’t show, was a steady presence at the net, even matching the blocking output of Dindin in Game 1. She also has a great serve. So many players had great games for the Lady Eagles to pull of the win over NU, twice in a row. And it’s just this simple word, “unity”.
A lot of it was still Aly, but the help she got was way more than enough for them to overcome the only teams to have beaten them in Season 76.
Heartstrong
Aly became a force as the captain of the team, and she dismissed all the doubts I ever had about her leadership. It was evident from their first game, that she was stepping up big time, and she looked every part a formidable leader from the get-go. I was impressed at the way she would encourage the team, celebrate for them, reflect on her mistakes, and how vocal she would be at time-outs, seemingly because their coach was unable to do so. She was the ate now, not the bunso like before with the Fab Five. It was her duty to step up, and she did. Together with Denden, I felt like they were the barometers of how the team would perform, because these two wouldn’t quit no matter how bad of a day they were having. And the team responded to that. The whole season, Aly was battling knee and back pain, while Denden even had to rely on painkillers to get through the Finals. But they remained impregnable fortresses in terms of their mental strength, and after losses, they would come right out the next game with a bang.
And then Ella, ever the reliable seventh-man, was inserted into the starting line-up, and I expected a lot from her. She may not be the tallest but the girl’s got an insane spring, but more importantly, a really strong heart.
Amy, who barely saw court time in the years prior, came out wth a bang when she had to step in as a middle. This move couldn’t have been easy, but it proved to be one of the missing links as she determinedly made up for lost time, and shored up the net defence drastically.
Michelle, who stepped up big time filling in the shoes of Amy in opposite, and probably one of the best opposites in terms of defence. While she was faulty, she was a rookie, and you’d have to admire her for her attitude on court. Where I’m from, my coach called it a “tidak apa” attitude, which basically refers to someone who is ignorant and just plays, in Malay. She did not mind her errors and just kept on going. That’s all you need from a rookie, really. The effort and the attitude.
Aerieal, who barely started games in the eliminations, and suddenly was thrust back into the spotlight, showed signs of brilliance when needed the most. She was ever calm and collected, and just quietly did her job. I remember back in the Shakey’s V-League, there was a match where Aerieal and Aly were combining for block after block, and it was amazing to watch. She always had it in her, she just needed the time to shine.
Jia, one of the strongest hearts of all, having no fear and no nerves showing despite being a rookie and going up against seasoned veterans. She outplayed many of the veteran setters and I think everybody knew that she was meant for great things then.
The whole team, actually, were the epitome of heartstrong, a spirit that Coach Tai clearly had. Never giving up even when they were down, and fighting tooth and nail. Never looking at the obstacles, but beyond them to the promised land. And never backing down from challenges, by facing them head on and becoming the first team to overcome a thrice-to-beat disadvantage.
The Lady Eagles of Season 76 were amazing, and they would always be a part of history.
I feel like I’ve learnt a lot about life watching the Lady Eagles.
Happy, Unity, Heartstrong.
One Big Fight.
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