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La Salle's de Jesus pays tribute to Coach Tai upon rival's exit from Ateneo

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/tvpatrol/04/22/coach.jpg"/><figcaption>La Salle coach Ramil de Jesus and Ateneo coach Tai Bundit. ABS-CBN Sports</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines – After battling each other in four consecutive Finals series, De La Salle University coach Ramil de Jesus and Ateneo de Manila University coach Tai Bundit have developed a mutual respect for each other.Thus, it was no surprise that de Jesus felt quite sad upon hearing the news that Bundit is set to leave the Lady Eagles after Season 80.&quot;Nakakalungkot kung ganoon, kasi maganda ang nagawa niya sa Ateneo,&quot; de Jesus said, moments after steering the Lady Spikers past National University (NU), 27-25, 25-22, 25-11, to advance to the UAAP Season 80 women&#x27;s volleyball finals.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/uaap/news/2018/04/22/uaap-volleyball-dlsu-makes-10th-straight-finals-appearance-40669">READ: DLSU makes 10th straight finals appearance</a></li></ul>De Jesus&#x27; Lady Spikers battled the Lady Eagles in six consecutive finals series, from Season 74 until 79. La Salle dominated the match-up in the first two years, but Bundit&#x27;s entry into the Ateneo program changed the complexion of the rivalry.With the Thai coach in charge, Ateneo pulled off a remarkable upset in Season 76, when they defeated La Salle three times in four games for their first-ever women&#x27;s volleyball title in the UAAP. They continued that run of dominance in Season 77, when Ateneo completed a perfect 16-0 season by sweeping La Salle in the finals.The Lady Spikers went on to beat Ateneo in the finals of Seasons 78 and 79, and in Season 80, the Lady Eagles&#x27; run came to an end when they were upended by Far Eastern University in the Final 4.De Jesus and the Lady Spikers, meanwhile, marched to the finals for the 10th year in a row. This time, however, they will have a different opponent across the net.Regardless of how Bundit&#x27;s run in Ateneo ended, there is no doubt that he changed not just the university&#x27;s volleyball program but Philippine volleyball as whole – something that de Jesus himself asserts.&quot;Para sa akin kasi, hindi mage-evolve &#x27;yung volleyball dito sa Philippines kung wala si Tai,&quot; de Jesus admitted.&quot;Kasi, habang wala si Tai dito, wala. Walang challenge &#x27;yung UAAP noon para sa akin,&quot; he added.Indeed, before Bundit came along, de Jesus and the Lady Spikers had thoroughly dominated the UAAP landscape. They had won eight titles, and ended the stranglehold that FEU and University of Santo Tomas had in the women&#x27;s division.They also fended off challenges from upstarts like Adamson University, and even the Roger Gorayeb-coached Ateneo Lady Eagles. It was only upon Bundit&#x27;s arrival that Ateneo finally managed to overcome the mean green machine that de Jesus had built.&quot;Noong dumating siya, nagulat ako na, &#x27;Uy, ganitong level &#x27;yung dinala niya rito sa Philippines, so kailangan kong mag-adjust,&#x27;&quot; said de Jesus, who is now also the coach of the women&#x27;s national team.&quot;Kailangan kong abutin &#x27;yung ganitong level na dinala niya,&quot; he added.For de Jesus, Bundit played a huge role in hastening the development of Philippine volleyball.&quot;Maganda &#x27;yung ginawa niya, hindi lang for Ateneo, pero para din sa Pilipinas,&quot; said the veteran mentor. &quot;Kung &#x27;di siya dumating dito, iwan talaga tayo sa international.&quot;&quot;Naging challenge &#x27;yung pagdating niya,&quot; de Jesus stressed. &quot;Before, ang binibilang ko lang na kalaban noon ay siguro FEU, UST, even Adamson siguro.&quot;&quot;Noong dumating siya, nag-evolve &#x27;yung volleyball.&quot;Bundit will not leave Philippine volleyball completely, as he is still set to coach Creamline in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL). However, it remains to be seen whether he and de Jesus will match wits again, as the La Salle mentor coaches in the rival Philippine Superliga for F2 Logistics.<div>For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.</div>

De Jesus' Lady Spikers had battled the Lady Eagles in six consecutive Finals series, from Season 74 until 79.

De Jesus' Lady Spikers had battled the Lady Eagles in six consecutive Finals series, from Season 74 until 79.

La Salle's de Jesus pays tribute to Coach Tai upon rival's exit from Ateneo

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La Salle's de Jesus pays tribute to Coach Tai upon rival's exit from Ateneo

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 22, 2018 08:36 PM PHT

Read More:

De La Salle Lady Spikers

Ramil de Jesus

Ateneo Lady Eagles

Tai Bundit

UAAP

volleyball

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