They have that winning attitude locked down.
On Saturday at the PhilSports Arena, the UST Golden Tigresses completed their sweep of the Ateneo Blue Eagles in Season 85 of the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament. With the four-set victory, the volleybelles from España improved their record to 8 wins and 3 losses. Clearly, they have established themselves as one of the tournament’s leading title contenders.
The rise of the Tigresses can be attributed to their immense talent and the hard work they put in during practice. Coach KungFu Reyes got specific, and divulged what transpires in his team’s intense training sessions.
“Lahat ng nai-imagine niyo na puwedeng gawin naming sa ensayo, good and bad na execution, nakakarinig sila ng talagang minsan masakit, pero no sugarcoating,” the UST mentor told reporters during the postgame presser.
“‘Pagdating sa ganito, hindi ka puwedeng mag-sugarcoat dito. Kailangan talaga well-prepared ka physically [and] mentally,” he added.
Apparently, if you’re a member of this UST team, you need to be thick-skinned. One can't be overly sensitive, especially during prep time. Coach Reyes elaborated on why he applies the tough love approach on his team.
“'Yung mental toughness, talagang dinidiinan namin. Bulyaw kung bulyawan namin sa ensayo para pagdating dito, kung sigawan man sila ng kalaban nila, ‘Aba mas malakas ang sigaw ng coach ko sa’yo,’ parang gano’n ba.”
The harder the training gets, the better the Tigresses become. That is evident in their play and in their win-loss card as well. Coach KungFu’s methods might be intimidating, but it produces positive results.
“More sweat and blood sa practice, para pagdating sa laro mas madali na,” Reyes reiterated.
The Golden Tigresses will return to action on April 23 against the FEU Tamaraws.