By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Perpetual Help reasserted its dominance in the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament and yet veteran coach Sammy Acaylar is convinced the latest bunch of Altas exceeded his own expectations.
“Actually from the start, hindi ko talaga sila in-expect na magtsa-champion or pumasok man lang sa Top 4,” he said, feeling Perpetual Help crew, a mixture of veterans and rookies, is not at par with the previous Altas championship-winning teams.
But Acaylar was glad to admit that he was wrong after all as the Altas, led by reigning league MVP and Rookie of the Year awardee Joebert Almodiel, put themselves back in the throne at the expense of Arellano Chiefs in a classic titular showdown that went the distance.
After sweeping the nine-game elimination round and earning an outright seat in the finals, the Altas found themselves with their backs against the wall after the Chiefs scored a stunning 12-25, 25-21, 19-25, 26-24, 15-9 victory in the opener.
But Perpetual Help bounced back, as expected, in Game 2 with a 26-24, 25-20, 23-25, 25-16 win and sustained its onslaught in the winner-take-all match which it took behind a 23-25, 27-25, 25-19, 25-23 triumph to foil Arellano’s upset bid.
The Altas’ epic series comeback, however, won’t materialized without the presence of unsung heroes like Rey Taneo, an opposite spiker who converted himself into a setter in a hurry after starting setter Warren Catipay sprained his right ankle late in the opening set.
He finished with 11 points, seven digs and 22 excellent sets, a yeoman’s job that earned him the Finals MVP award.
That only made Acaylar’s 11th title conquest much sweeter.
“Lagi ko silang pinapagalitan na hindi ito ‘yung pang-champion na team, pero nung nag-start na ‘yung elimination, nakita ko ‘yung potential nila. Palaban talaga sila, ayaw bumigay,” he said.
“They believe na kapag hindi ka mag-give-up, ibibigay talaga sa’yo. At pinakita nila ‘yun. Nothing is impossible,” he added. “This is my passion. Ang goal ko is yung tulungan silang mga players na makatikim ng championship. They come from different provinces so ang gusto ko lang, iangat sila.”