RIGHT AFTER bagging another title for the UST Tiger Sands, Alche Gupiteo had a new goal set in mind: to bring the championship mentality with him in his return on the taraflex.
The two-time beach volleyball champion will suit up for the UST Golden Spikers to strengthen the stacked wing hitters in their Season 87 campaign.
“My motivation is that we shouldn’t just be champions in beach volleyball. We should go beyond our limits to get [the championship],” Gupiteo told The Flame.
Gupiteo was instrumental in the Tiger Sands’ dominant run last November, being a huge contributor to the team’s sixth consecutive crown.
Transitioning from the sands to the hardcourt came with challenges and adjustments in his playing style. With the coaching staff’s guidance, the 6-foot-2 open spiker has been doubling his efforts in recalibrating his skills as the season nears.
“Coach Odjie keeps telling me that I only have to improve my skills so I can be an elite player indoors,” he said.
“For me, every game and every set is like a war… If you are not ready, you will die,” he added.
Golden Spiker star Josh Ybañez said he is happy to finally share the court with Gupiteo after their canceled stint in the Palarong Pambansa before the pandemic and the latter’s shift to the sands.
“I’m sure a lot will be happy that our tandem will return. I’m so happy because Alche is a great boost for our team this season,” the back-to-back MVP said.
Gupiteo was initially set to play indoors in Season 84 alongside Ybañez, so building chemistry with his teammates was no challenge.
After the Golden Spikers suffered back-to-back heartbreaks against rival NU Bulldogs in the last two finals series, Gupiteo said the team’s mindset has become bolder and more mature.
The España squad bowed to the FEU Tamaraws during its campaign opener on Saturday, Feb. 15, but the loss will surely be another learning experience for the team, which has vowed not to settle for anything less than the championship.
“We are not the young UST team anymore… We are mature enough to do what we can for the championship,” Gupiteo said. F
