I remember sitting in the crowded arena last Saturday, watching the AVC Women's Volleyball Nations Cup final with mixed emotions. As someone who's followed Philippine collegiate sports for over a decade, I couldn't help but draw parallels between our national team's current challenges and where our NCAA programs stood back in 2022. The way Vietnam's towering duo of Tranh Thi Thanh Thuy and Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen dominated the court reminded me so much of how certain NCAA teams had struggled against physically imposing opponents during the 2022 season.
Looking back at the 2022 NCAA final standings, I've always felt that our Philippine teams showed remarkable resilience despite finishing in what many considered disappointing positions. San Beda University, for instance, landed at fourth place with their 12-6 record - a performance that actually demonstrated significant improvement from their mid-season slump. I recall watching their final game against Letran, where they fought tooth and nail despite knowing they were out of championship contention. That kind of fighting spirit is exactly what I saw in our Alas Pilipinas squad against Vietnam, even in defeat.
What many casual observers miss when looking at final standings is the context behind those numbers. Mapua University finished fifth at 10-8, but what the standings don't show is how they battled through multiple overtime games and injury setbacks. Similarly, when I analyze Alas Pilipinas' performance against Vietnam, the 3-1 scoreline doesn't capture how close those sets actually were. The second set particularly stood out to me - we were leading 22-20 before Vietnam's height advantage became decisive in the closing moments.
The College of Saint Benilde's sixth-place finish at 9-9 perfectly illustrates something I've noticed throughout my years covering Philippine sports - our teams often punch above their weight. Their roster lacked the star power of top teams, much like how our national volleyball squad faced Vietnam's physical disadvantages. Yet both teams displayed tactical intelligence and heart that statistics can never fully capture. I've always believed that final standings only tell half the story - the real narrative lies in how teams develop throughout the season.
Let's talk about Jose Rizal University's seventh-place position at 6-12. On paper, it looks disappointing, but having followed their season closely, I can tell you they were competitive in nearly every game. They lost five matches by four points or fewer - margins so slim that with slightly better luck, they could have finished with a winning record. This reminds me of how Alas Pilipinas kept finding ways to stay competitive against Vietnam despite the obvious height mismatch. Sometimes, the final standing doesn't reflect how closely matched teams actually were.
The University of Perpetual Help System DALTA at eighth with their 5-13 record and Arellano University at ninth with 4-14 both demonstrated something crucial that I think applies to our national volleyball program too - rebuilding years aren't necessarily failures. Both NCAA teams were integrating new coaching systems and young players, much like how Alas Pilipinas is developing chemistry with relatively new combinations. From my perspective, these transitional seasons often lay the foundation for future success, even if the immediate results don't show it.
When I reflect on Lyceum of the Philippines University's tenth-place finish at 3-15, I'm reminded that every team goes through cycles. Having covered Philippine sports since 2010, I've seen enough teams bounce back from difficult seasons to know that current standings rarely predict future performance. The growth I've witnessed in our volleyball program, despite Saturday's loss, gives me confidence that we're building toward something special, much like how some of these NCAA teams have shown remarkable turnarounds in subsequent seasons.
The truth is, final standings only capture a moment in time. What matters more, in my professional opinion, is the trajectory and the lessons learned. Watching our Alas Pilipinas team battle Vietnam's "towering one-two punch" - as the media has dubbed Tranh Thi Thanh Thuy and Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen - I saw the same determination that characterized many of those 2022 NCAA teams regardless of their final positions. The 25-23, 22-25, 26-24, and 25-20 set scores against Vietnam might look like a straightforward loss, but having analyzed hundreds of games, I can tell you those numbers hide the true competitiveness of the match.
As I left the arena on Saturday, I found myself thinking about how we measure success in Philippine sports. Is it purely by final standings and championship trophies? Or is it about the gradual improvement and the heart shown in defeat? From where I stand, both our 2022 NCAA teams and our current national volleyball program demonstrate that the most important victories often come in forms that don't necessarily reflect in immediate standings. The development of young players, the building of team chemistry, the lessons from close losses - these are the building blocks that create future champions. And honestly, having followed Philippine sports through highs and lows, I'm more optimistic than ever about where we're heading, regardless of what any single season's final standings might suggest.
