2 days ago
Benilde coach Arnold Laniog rues injuries, inexperience in Blazers' Final Four breakdown
NCAA
By BEA MICALLER,GMA Integrated News
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde head coach Arnold Laniog said injuries and inexperience came back to haunt them in the NCAA Season 100 men's volleyball Final Four round.
The top-seeded Blazers took two shocking tumbles in the semifinals, falling twice to fourth seed Colegio de San Juan de Letran to bow out of contention despite holding a twice-to-beat advantage over the Knights.
The Taft crew had to play through a depleted roster after team captain Arnel Aguilar and main opposite spiker Jacob Herrera were both forced to play on limited minutes due to injuries they sustained even prior to the semifinals round.
Laniog shared Aguilar is nursing a shoulder injury he got in the final stretch of the first round while the lefty Herrera tore his patellar tendon during the start of the tournament.
With these, Laniog decided to convert Aguilar to a libero, including in their do-or-die Game 2 against the Knights just to put his presence on the court while Herrera saw minimal playing time.
"Ang laking bagay din na nawala 'yung captain namin as regular spiker dahil sa injury niya sa balikat. Kaya namin siyang ginawang libero para lang every time na nasa loob siya, nando'n pa rin 'yung presence niya," Laniog told GMA News Online.
"Siya 'yung malaking bagay na nawala kasi meron siyang leadership, 'yung action, and sa crucial time kaya naiyang mag-deliver. Si Jacob Herrera start pa lang ng tournament, punit na 'yung patellar tendon so nilaban niya lang."
But Laniog isn't offering any excuses, stressing the Knights played like a legit title contender behind veterans Vince Himzon and Bembem Bautista.
After losing Game 1, Benilde still had a chance to clinch a finals berth as they dominated Letran in Set 1 of the sudden death, but they failed to find the finishing touches as the Knights staged a come-from-behind victory to enter the championship round for the first time in 16 years.
"That's the turning point eh, nu'ng natalo kami sa second set. We have a chance nu'ng second set nu'ng nag-25-all after ng challenge namin pero hindi na-capitalize," Laniog added.
"Sabi ko nga kung nakuha namin 'yun, big difference sa third set pero sa third set biglang bumagsak. Lumalabas na 'yung grupo namin ay mas bata, kulang sa experience."
Despite the Final Four exit, all is not lost for Benilde as the Blazers now shift their focus on the battle for third against Mapua University in their bid to make the podium.
"'Yun na lang, sabi nga namin we must accept ang nangyari na talagang talo tayo. Hindi tayo nag-perform doon sa kagustuhan natin so let's move on para doon sa battle for third."
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
