By Jerome Lagunzad
After stepping down as St. Benilde coach, Michael “Macky” Cariño hooked up with powerhouse Perpetual Help to help the Lady Altas’ title campaign in the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament that gets going in January next year.
The development marks the return of Cariño to the Las Piñas-based squad after serving as deputy to former Perpetual Help mentor and current sports director Sammy Acaylar during the Lady Altas’ title romp in Season 89 to complete a “three-peat.”
Carino, who is also serving as an assistant to Sta. Lucia Realty tactician Jerry Yee in the Philippine Superliga (PSL), is also tasked to lead the school’s volleyball program in Las Piñas, Molino and Calamba campuses.
“I resigned to assume a bigger role, which is to handle not only the women’s volleyball team but Perpetual Help’s volleyball program as a whole,” said Cariño.
“Perpetual Help already has a strong volleyball program and I’m here to just continue it and hopefully make some improvements.”
Acaylar, a multi-titled tactician who remains as the Altas men’s volleyball coach, has high hopes for Cariño. “Everybody knows he (Cariño) is my protégé and I’m confident he can do the job well, maybe even better,” he said.
Cariño, who led the Lady Blazers to the Promised Land in Season 91, will lean on veterans Lourdes Clemente, setter Necelle Gual, middle blocker Shyra Umandal, outside spikers Bianca Tripoli and Cindy Imbo, opposite Johan Rosal and libero Marjo Medalla.
