Fight erupts in 87th NCAA volleyball match

A melee broke out at the sidelines of the women's volleyball match Friday between University of Perpetual Help and San Sebastian College in the 87th NCAA. The brawl involved Lady Stags coach Roger Gorayeb and several members of defending men's basketball champion San Beda College. NCAA officials were forced to stop the match. Witnesses took pictures of the brawl as it took place and then uploaded them on various social networking sites. The skirmish was also recorded by closed-circuit television cameras installed inside the SBC gym. Gorayeb, according to reports, got into a heated argument with San Beda big man Dave Marcelo and Red Lions coach Frankie Lim inside the SBC gym, where Friday's volleyball matches were played. The argument escalated to a shouting and shoving match until punches were thrown that resulted in a free-for-all. San Beda security personnel tried but failed to prevent the antagonists from trading blows on the court. Some pictures of the melee showed Marcelo and Lim attacking Gorayeb, who suffered bruises to his face, forehead, arms and body. Even Lady Stags' libero Mae Denise Crisostomo, who stands less than 5-feet and got a black eye, and teammate Analyn Joy Benito tried to protect and pacify Gorayeb's attackers. Gorayeb later went to the Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital to be checked by doctors and secure a medical certificate. The San Sebastian mentor said he plans to file charges of serious physical injury against Lim and the entire Red Lions basketball team. The versions of how it started The whole incident started from a misunderstanding between the Stags' men’s volleyball team and Red Lions Nigerian reserve Olaide Adeogun. Stags team captain Rainier Bien Mangunay said they were warming up and doing their pre-game rituals, before taking the Altas, outside the SBC gym when several members of the Red Lions basketball team confronted them. According to reports, the Stags were chanting "O-oy, alae-ale-oy!" when Adeogun was walking down the corridor where the Nigerian thought the SSC men's volleyball team was calling him unggoy or monkey—a form of racial slur—and making fun of him. "We have no intention of annoying anyone since we are just doing our warm ups," said Mangunay in Filipino. "Our chant is not directed towards anybody, it just so happens that he was passing by and heard our chant." Gorayeb, after learning of the incident, left his women's team to intercede between both teams. "Our players were already explaining their side since I was not there when the incident happened for I was coaching the women's team.”   "Then somebody from San Beda said 'is that what you teach at San Sebastian, being rude that's why your players act like that?,'" added Gorayeb. Gorayeb said that he asked the San Beda players not to anymore drag the school's name. "Tapos nung tumalikod na ako at naglakad pabalik sa court me sumigaw sa akin ng 'Gago!' kaya sinagot ko ng “Gago ka rin!” That’s when Frankie Lim cussed me so I answered back and they ganged up on me.” Lim, however, has a different version of the incident. The San Beda coach said San Sebastian volleyball players threw racial slurs to Adeogun when the Nigerian was walking. "Ola told me what happened and I approached the team and told them you're not supposed to do that," said Lim in an interview with ANC. "I asked them to call their coach (Gorayeb) to help settle the issue." Lim said Gorayeb was already shouting when the long-time volleyball coach approached him. “He (Gorayeb) then turned his back on us and cussed at me so I followed him. Then he turned around and punched me then all hell broke loose. We didn't start the fight." NCAA action NCAA Management Committee members, led by chairman Dr. Ramon Cercado of season host Perpetual Help, San Beda athletic moderator Jose Mari Lacson and Francis Gusi of San Sebastian witnessed the incident. Cercado declined to comment further on the incident but said the NCAA ManComm will meet to discuss what sanctions will be given to those involved in the fracas. Gusi said he will submit a recommendation to the ManComm and NCAA policy board to ban Lim and players involved in the melee. "We're not going to take this matter lightly. The entire incident is not beneficial to the league. We will summon those involve to air their sides then we will decide what sanction will be given to them," said Gusi. Lacson said they will cooperate with the NCAA ManComm and policy board to put closure on the issue. "Marami ng version ang kwento. Siyempre iba sasabihin ng San Sebastian.” — JVP, GMA News