Fresh off a celebrated championship run by its men’s basketball team in Season 87, the University of the Philippines (UP) is now turning its attention to the volleyball court, hoping to spark a similar resurgence.
According to UP Office of Athletics and Sports Development director Bo Perasol, sustaining the momentum and energy of the UP community throughout the academic year depends heavily on the performance of its volleyball squads.
“To keep the UP community’s spirit alive year-round, our volleyball teams will play a key role,” Perasol said.
“They’ll be at the forefront of the UP Fight in the second semester.”
It’s a challenging path ahead, especially with the men’s and women’s volleyball teams combining for only five wins across 56 games from Seasons 85 to 86.
But as UP has proven in basketball and other sports, a turnaround is always possible — with the right mix of support, structure and belief.
“That’s exactly what our volleyball program needs — unwavering support from the UP community and full trust from generous backers,” Perasol added.
Signs of progress have already begun to show. The men’s team climbed from seventh to sixth in Season 87, while the women’s squad surged from the cellar to a tie for fifth with Adamson University.
At the heart of this resurgence is business tycoon Frank Lao, whose commitment to supporting UP volleyball through Strong Group Athletics (SGA) has provided the program with much-needed resources and stability.
Lao’s first major move was appointing multi-titled coach Oliver Almadro as program head, giving him full oversight of recruitment, coaching, training and strategy.
“Coach Bo asked if I could sponsor UP volleyball — and with his charisma, it’s hard to say no,” Lao said.
“I’m happy with how this season went, but of course, making the finals would be even better.”
While pleased with the strides made, he is aiming even higher, particularly for the women’s team.
Lao shared that Italian expert Alessandro Lodi, currently coaching Farm Fresh in the PVL, and SGA strength and conditioning coach Carlo Buzzichelli, will join UP as consultants to enhance the team’s development.
With promising head coach Benson Bocboc and the arrival of talented transferees like Casiey Dongallo, Kizzie Madriaga and Gelai Gajero, UP is shaping up to be a serious contender in the coming Season 88.