The UC Webmasters players and coaching staff pose for a group photo after one of their games in the Cesafi volleyball. | Photo from Cesafi
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters men’s volleyball team won’t leave a single stone unturned as they head into the semifinals of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) men’s volleyball tournament.
UC was on top of the team standings last weekend before they finished with a four-way tie. They now have the same win-loss record as the defending champions, the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildcats, the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors, and the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R).
All four teams finished the elimination round with nine wins and two defeats to complete the final four in the semifinals.
Before the four-way tie, UC was leading the team standings— a rare achievement for a university known for basketball and athletics in the Cesafi.
For John Abas, the head coach of the UC Webmasters’ men’s volleyball team, they won’t settle for this achievement.
He said that their eyes are already set on the prize, the Cesafi title. Last year, they were two matches short of winning the title after finishing in third place.
This time, Abas said UC will use their experience and hard work to win the Cesafi men’s volleyball title.
“Last year naapil mi sa top four pero na bronze medal ra mi. As we did, we learned from our experiences last year. We used that experience this season, and we bounced back strong,” Abas told CDN Digital.
“100% dako ko ug pagsalig sa team kay grabe among practice. Even sa holiday season, wala mi nihunong ug practice,” he added.
UC only lost twice this season against CIT-U and USPF due to factors Abas revealed. They lost to CIT-U since their match was held simultaneously with UC’s intramurals, while they lost to USPF because of the early morning schedule his players weren’t used to.
“Happy ra gyud kaayo ko sa gipakita sa team karon. Wala man perfect nga team, at least hapsay na kaayo mi sa dagan sa among mga duwa,” said Abas who has been UC’s head coach since 2018.
They sealed their elimination round campaign with a win over the University of the Philippines Cebu (UPC) Fighting Maroons, 25-16, 25-13, and 25-22.
Meanwhile, CIT-U completed a come-from-behind victory against the Southwestern University Phinma Cobras, 22-25, 23-25, 25-17, 25-13, 15-8.
On the other hand, USJ-R and USC defeated the University of the Visayas (UV) and the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu Mandaue (UCLM) to advance to the semifinals along with UC and CIT-U.
Abas said they’re waiting for the tournament officials to determine who they’re facing in the semifinals because of the four-way tie in the top four team standings.
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