Coach Roger Gorayeb of San Sebastian College Recoletos is a champion on and off the court

Coach Roger Gorayeb is a legend in the Philippine volleyball scene.

His credentials speak for themselves: 22 championships in the women's division, 11 in the juniors division, and six in the women's beach volleyball, among many other accolades as a coach.

All those titles propelled Gorayeb to the summit of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), earning him the distinction as the league's winningest volleyball coach.

And he's not done yet.

Gorayeb currently sits as the head coach for the women's volleyball team of the San Sebastian College - Recoletos - his alma mater and the same team that he led to several championships in the past both as a player and coach.

But with Season 96 of the NCAA yet to start and with team practices still prohibited, the players are asked to perform home workouts and individual drills to keep them in shape during the offseason.

“Volleyball is a very different sport. Hindi naman puwede na puro pakondisyon lang ng katawan,” said Gorayeb during a video chat attended by GMANetwork.com.

“Ang pinakaimportante 'yong stamina ng mga bata para pagdating ng oras ng pag-eensayo, skill na lang ulit 'yong babalikan namin.”

He added, “Importante talaga sa volleyball 'yong skill. So kung anong magagawang paraan, kung may bola silang magagamit, kasi hindi naman any time available 'yong bola ng volleyball. Hindi naman puwede na mag-ensayo ka mag-isa, kailangan may kasama ka.”

Distance is another obstacle facing coaches and players during the pandemic.

“HIrap kasi alam mo naman malalayo 'yong mga bata. Hindi ko alam sa probinsya nila, sa location nila, kung mahigpit. So, more on trust na gawin nila 'yong dapat nilang gawin.”

Facing mortality

It is great to see Gorayeb being his usual feisty and competitive self.

After all, it wasn't long ago when he was in critical condition after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma or cancer of plasma cells in 2019.

Gorayeb's health faced a major scare when he went unconscious for 14 days while at the intensive care unit (ICU) of St. Luke's Medical Center.

Gorayeb tearfully recalled in an interview with Chino Trinidad for 24 Oras the moment when he was in a conversation with his doctor.

“Nung time na 'yon bago ako na-unconscious, Doc 'yong pamilya ko, lagi kong sinasabi, 'yong pamilya ko 'wag mo akong pababayaan. Kawawa ang pamilya ko,” an emotional Gorayeb said.

Faced with a deadly illness and mounting hospital bills, Gorayeb found strong support from the volleyball community.

An event titled Volleyball Community Gives Back: A Benefit Night for Coach Roger Gorayeb was held on November 3, 2019, at the Arena in San Juan to raise funds and boost the morale of the legendary mentor.

The initiative gathered past and present volleyball players including those who were coached by Gorayeb in college, commercial leagues, and international tournaments.

Just some of the names who graced the event include Kara Acevedo, Sisi Rondina, Jema Galanza, Nicole Tiamzon, Deanna Wong, Alyssa Valdez, Gretchen Ho, and basketball stars Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena.

Singer-songwriters Ebe Dancel and Quest also attended to perform at the fundraising event.

The multi-titled coach pulled off a miracle and survived the ordeal after more than a month of being in the hospital.

Tragedy, unfortunately, struck again when his wife of 32 years, Lucy, passed away on January 18 of this year.

“Ang importante lang kumapit ka ng husto at 'wag kang makalimot sa taas, sa mga kaibigan na alam mong nandyan sila para sa 'yo,” mused Gorayeb, his faith stronger than ever.

Excited for the future

Ever the fighter, Gorayeb is now looking forward to stepping on the court again and guiding the Stags against the rest of the teams.

He wants the school to regain its championship ways.

Gorayeb acknowledged that college leagues nowadays are different, perhaps more complex, but he's not one to make excuses.

“We have been producing NCAA records sa volleyball,” he said, referring to San Sebastian's past volleyball tradition.

“Lately hindi kami nakakapasok sa finals. Medyo mahirap na rin mag-recruit ngayon pero nagrerecruit pa rin kami para bumalik 'yong glory days.

The Stags are a young team and Gorayeb is pinning his hopes on this current batch of players and the team's new recruits to tow the squad.

“Looking forward ako dito for the next one or two years. Sana bumalik na ulit 'yong strength ng volleyball team namin,” Gorayeb said in closing.

Get ready and get hyped for Season 96 of the NCAA! Meet the players, coaches, and legends in the country and find out why the NCAA keeps getting better. Catch NCAA 'Rise Up Stronger' soon on GTV.