There was a time when head coach Arnold Laniog nearly walked away from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
In the aftermath of the Blazing Spikers’ heartbreaking Final Four exit in Season 100, the longtime shot-caller seriously considered ending his coaching stint at Taft. After all, he had already devoted the past 26 years of his life to Benilde as both a player and a coach.
But he chose to give it one more shot, fueled by his players’ promise that they would win it all in Season 101.
Fast forward to last Friday, the Blazing Spikers completed their redemption arc, stunning Mapua University with a reverse sweep to finally end the school’s nine-year title drought.
READ MORE | NCAA: Benilde sweeps Mapua in Game 3 of Season 101 finals to end 9-year men’s volleyball title drought
"Isang challenge ko ‘yun para mag-stay pa ako sa team kasi gusto ko na sana magpahinga. Kung ako tatanunign, gusto ko mag-champion noon pa," Laniog said.
"Personally, I talked to my wife. Sabi niya support lang siya kung ano talaga, but sabi ko isa pa. I have been with this team for ilang taon na, 26 years na ako dito."
(That was my challenge, to stay with the team, because I already wanted to rest. If you ask me, I wanted to become the champion back then. Personally, I talked to my wife. She said she would support whatever my choice was. But I said, one more. I have been with this team for how many years, it’s been 26 years I’ve been here.)
For Laniog, returning for another year — and perhaps even more — is his way of giving back to the younger generation.
Laniog was himself once a student-athlete, suiting up for Benilde from 2000 to 2005, a stretch during which he helped the squad clinch three silver medal finishes. After his studies, the school hired him to guide the next batch of players.
"Naglaro ako from 2000 to 2005 then after sinubukan lang ako ng sports director. I think this is my calling talaga na kung ano ‘yung binigay sa akin ng Benilde simula nu’ng nag-aral ako hanggang ngayon, ay kailangan kong ibalik sa mga batang nangangarap," he added.
(I played from 2000 to 2005 then after the sports director gave me a chance. I think this is really my calling. Whatever Benilde gave me from when I was a student until now, I need to pay back to the kids with dreams.)
It took him 12 years to deliver his first title as a coach, steering the squad to the Season 92 throne in 2017 behind that year's MVP John Vic De Guzman.
But Benilde failed to replicate that success over the next eight years, with its closest title bid ending in a runner-up finish in Season 94. Last year, they were poised for a championship but fumbled in the semifinals after losing to Letran despite a twice-to-beat advantage.
Laniog and the Blazing Spikers, though came back stronger this year with the likes of Rocky Motol, Reymark Betco, Chris Villanueva, Mike Balbacal, and Dexter Graniada stepping up to end an almost-decade dry spell.
Laniog admitted that, as with their last championship, defending the title would be even more difficult given the competition in NCAA men’s volleyball.
"Ang hirap kumuha ng championship. Katulad ngayon, napakahirap talaga. Mapua is deserving to get the championship talaga. But kung nakuha namin ngayon, mas mahirap ulitin," Laniog added.
"Kasi before nu’ng nakuha namin ng 2017, the next year third lang kami. So ang hirap ulitin, so kung ano ‘yung lesson na nakuha namin hopefully ma-doble pa."
(It’s really hard to win a championship. Look at now, it was so hard. Mapua is deserving to get the championship too. But if we were able to win this one, it will be much harder to win another. When we won in 2017, the next year, we only finished in third. It’s hard to repeat, so whatever lesson we learned, hopefully we can double it.)
—JMB, GMA News
