month-long absence

a lot has happened since i last posted here.

just fixing up some photos then i'll post them later.

will provide update on first semester performance of the UP varsity teams.

later!

Volleyball, round 2 update

Men's volleyball

August 29: UP defeated FEU, 3-1
Set scores: 25-13, 11-25, 25-14, 25-22

September 1: UP vs UST
Game postponed due to leaking roof brought about by heavy rains. September 14, 2 pm ang bagong schedule.

September 5: UP defeated AdU, 3-1
Set scores: 25-19, 22-25, 25-20, 25-18


Women's volleyball

August 29: UST defeated UP, 3-0
Set scores: 25-13, 25-17, 25-11

September 1: UP defeated NU, 3-1
Set scores: 19-25, 25-13, 25-13, 25-7

September 5: DLSU defeated UP, 3-0
Set scores: 25-13, 25-22, 25-17

Jrs. basketball update

August 22: UPIS defeated AdU, 95-60

Unbelievable! Not the fact that we beat last year's number two, but the fact that we beat them by that much! 35 f*cking points! I was stunned, to say the least. Hoorah for the Junior Maroons!


September 4: DLSZ defeated UPIS, 61-60

Sayang ang game na to. Panalo dapat ang Junior Maroons kung hindi lang sila naging lax during the last quarter. Nahabol tuloy sila ng mga Alabang boys. Ang masakit pa dun, UPIS was up by two in the last few seconds of the game. Then, by some twist of fate, La Salle's Martin Reyes (who earlier bungled all his shots from the three-point line) sinks a shot from the arc with only two seconds left!

Ayun, luhaan ang mga IS boys. Sayang. I think napagalitan sila ng husto ni Coach Pat sa locker room after the game. The Junior Maroons must win all their remaining games para they'll have a twice-to-beat advantage pagpasok sa semifinals. They'll go against the NU Bullpups on September 9 and the Ateneo Blue Babies on September 12.

Bye-bye, semis!

September 4: DLSU defeated UP, 70-52

Perhaps, it was because of the pressure. Perhaps, the lack of rest. Or perhaps, the absence of Marvin Cruz. Whatever it was, it made for a very bad UP performance.

The Green Archers stopped the Fighting Maroons winning streak and forced the State U cagers to kiss their final four bid goodbye. UP settles for fifth place na lang. Regardless of the outcome ng game nila against NU on Thursday, number five pa rin sila. At least, it's a better ranking than last season. Kung ang performance ng ibang teams ay maganda, malaki ang pag-asang mag-overall champion ang UP.

Notes:
--Ang yabang talaga ni Mac Cardona! Well, sa hardcourt anyway. Magaling siyang mag-mind games. It will really get to you and if you let it, talo ka. Yan na nga ang nangyari sa Maroons.
--Napaka-physically exhausting panoorin yung game kasi parang physically battered din yung mga players on both teams. Ang daming sikuhan, tulakan, murahan. Buti naman nakaganti din ang UP sa DLSU in terms of sakit ng katawan.

Long overdue post about men's basketball

August 22: UP defeated Adamson, 66-55

AdU led during the first quarter at 14-20 pero the Fighting Maroons surged during the succeeding periods and moved on to bag their fourth straight victory.

Notes:
--AdU's Richard Alonzo should have been issued a warning as he was showering expletives at the UP cagers pero hindi pinansin ng mga referees.
--Falcon Mark Abadia was called for a disqualifying foul for hitting Maroon point guard Marvin Cruz in the face. Abadia was thrown out of the game.
--AdU's Leo Canuday is a strong contender for Rookie of the Year. He's a good player pero much can be said about his manners. Talk about uncouth!


August 28: UP defeated FEU, 61-56

Beating the defending champion is certainly one huge ego trip. I have not seen the crowd go so wild before. It was a very good game. Magaling ang kalaban pero it appears mas magaling tayo that day. Fifth straight win na! :-)


September 2: UP defeated ADMU, 74-69

This game was really charged with excitement. UP led all throughout the game, with Ateneo's biggest lead at 3 points during the first two minutes of the match. Try as they might, the Blue Eagles were unable to take a commanding lead over State U. Hanggang 1 point lang ang lamang nila.

Notes:
--Marvin Cruz was thrown out of the court for pushing LA Tenorio. Disqualifying foul plus one-game suspension ang binigay sa kanya. LA Tenorio was his usual mayabang self kaya ayun tinulak tuloy. Bwahahahahahaha!
--Sobrang trash talking sa court! That game was generously peppered with expletives.
--I never knew the Ateneo crowd could be so menacing and mean and uncouth. I was actually joking with Arshad na baka di na kami makalabas ng buhay dun sa Philsports Arena. Examples ng mga narinig namin:

"Ref, maghanda ka mamaya! Pag labas mo, papatayin kita!" Galing ito sa isang napakalaking mama kaya no comment na lang ako. Natakot talaga ako dun.

"Santos, matanda ka na! Umalis ka na diyan!" Ang sagot ko naman ay, "Huh?"

"Almeda, ang pangit mo! Umuwi ka na!" Hmm, parang gusto kong sagutin ng, "Bakit? Ang tingin niyo ba kay Tenorio gwapo? Besides, looks have nothing to do with the way a person plays basketball. Kung pagwapuhan lang naman pala ang pag-uusapan, eh di dapat sa ramp na lang at hindi sa court ang labanan. Sheesh."

--Itong mga nasa Ateneo crowd, ang hilig pang magtapon ng basura sa court dahil lang sa galit sila sa referees. Ang ultimate karma nga sana ay hindi natanggal yung basura sa court at nadulas ang isang Blue Eagle dun sa kalat while going for the drive. Hindi man lang naisip nung mga nagkakalat na baka isa pa sa mga players nila ang madisgrasya. Hay, pipol. Basketball lang yan. Hindi kayo mamamatay kung matalo kayo.