The UP Fighting Maroons are eyeing to ace the fundamentals as the key to consistency for when they give their last push for the Final Four in UAAP Season 87.
UP head coach Benson Bocboc isn’t looking for anything special even as the UP Fighting Maroons currently on a roll, winning three of their last four games in UAAP Season 87.
Now only half a game behind the UST Golden Tigresses at no. 4, the Diliman-based spikers now have a fighting chance to break through and make it to the Final Four for the first time since UAAP Season 78.
But more than having to do big things like their emphatic upset of NU earlier this week, Bocboc believes that the Fighting Maroons only need to do the small things better to hopefully make it a habit and notch more wins.
That is, it all boils down to the fundamentals.
“I think sa laro ng volleyball basic lang naman. Yung pasa, yung setting. So, yun lang. Dun lang makikita natin maraming teams kahit na marami silang panalo, sometimes may inconsistencies sa area na yun. So samin, ganon din eh,” said Bocboc, who was somewhat displeased with UP’s performance against the UE Lady Warriors on Sunday.
“Syempre, kailangan natin yung mga basic na skills na yun para makuha ng puntos. Eh kung hindi namin ma-master yun, aasa kami sa mali ng kalaban. Mahirap,” he added.
Against the Lady Warriors, Bocboc wasn’t able to find the steady discipline he wants to see in his players.
[READ: UP rolls past UE as Fighting Maroons start to near top-4 in UAAP Season 87]
Even during one game, the tactician lamented the Fighting Maroons’ seesaw performances. In their game against UE, UP matched their opponents’ errors with 21 apiece. Despite taking the sweep victory, Bocboc believes that any team can beat anyone else if they aren’t careful with the basics.
“Dahil sa panalo [ngayon], so ang masasabi ko hindi pa [kami nagp-peak] kasi up and down eh every game. Up and down. So nagkataon off din ‘yung NU nun, tapos nakuha namin as an advantage kaya nakuha ‘yung panalo,” said Bocboc.
“Pero kahit kaninong side pwedeng mangyari, pwedeng mangyari rin sa’min katulad nung sa Ateneo. Nangyari sa amin. Sa amin naman ‘yung downside, nakuha nila ‘yung straight na points, nakuha nila ‘yung panalo. So hindi siya sign kung nasa peak na ‘yung team, pero para sa akin marami pang kailangan ayusin with the short time to finish the second round,” he added.
Still, the Fighting Maroons have gotten their fair share of wins at 5-5, and still with four games left in elimination, will likely have their Final Four fate in their hands.
Facing a lengthy drought of appearances in the semifinals, UP will be hard-pressed to make it count this time around.
The Fighting Maroons return to action against the FEU Lady Tamaraws on Sunay, April 6, still here at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.