UST Tigresses coach focuses on positives after first loss

UST coach Kungfu Reyes.–UAAP PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — University of Santo Tomas may have absorbed its first defeat after eight straight wins but coach KungFu Reyes reminded his wards not to lose their character and resiliency which led to their hot start in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament.

UST’s eight-game unbeaten run was snapped by National University, 23-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-20, on Sunday evening at Smart Araneta Coliseum just before the league took a Holy Week break.

But Reyes reminded the Tigresses to take their first loss of the season in stride before leaving the locker room at the Big Dome.

SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball second round

“Our statement when we lose a point, we lose a set is do not lose our character. And this time we lost a game definitely we can’t lose the character that we showed [in our previous game],” said Reyes in Filipino.

Reyes admitted they had a lot of lapses, especially on the defensive end as the Lady Bulldogs’ troika of Bella Belen, Vange Alinsug, and Alyssa Solomon did the damage to get back at the Tigresses, who swept them in the first round.

“We learned a lot from this game. We had a lot of lapses and our scorers couldn’t convert. We don’t have any alibis why we lost the game but we really lacked on the defensive department including our blocking and our service,” said Reyes, who has been calling the shots for UST since 2015.

For the longtime UST coach, who steered the school to its best start in the Final Four era, their first taste of defeat will make the Tigresses better when they return after the Holy Week break.

“The good thing is we were able to experience and feel this loss as early as now. Their mental toughness will be tested, how to recover from this breaking point, especially their body language,” Reyes said. “We saw what we can still teach to these young players. Of course, their tactical skills are already there, it’s more on the emotional side that we need to tackle for our upcoming games.”

Reyes wants his team to make the most of their long break by recovering physically, spiritually, and emotionally before they return to action against Adamson on April 3 at Mall of Asia Arena.

“This is a blessing for us, especially for those who are playing through minor injuries. Our players will be able to rest naturally at least for three to four days. We will embrace all the learnings from this loss,” he said.