From Ateneo de Manila Senior High School

By Soleina Vasquez

The gym floor thrummed under the weight of every step. Sneakers screeched, the ball ricocheted like sparks, and the crowd composed of loud cheers, gasps, and rattling drumbeats bouncing beneath the blazing lights of the British School Manila (BSM) Term 1 Volleyball Tournament. Against that roar, Ateneo’s Under-18 squads — boys and girls from the Ateneo High School (AHS) — inhaled a single breath, their focus sharp as a quick set, all to bag the silver and gold titles that awaited them.

From the sidelines, chatter and expectations whirred like restless static. Eyes watched, voices questioned, and pressure pressed in from all sides. Yet the team refused to let the noise dictate them. Instead, they tuned into the game in front of them, the ball, the court, one another, and chased every point, driven not by what others expected but by what they knew they could do together.

They heard the noise. But their answer sounded louder, silencing every doubt.

Block the Ball, Not the Noise

Although most would define pressure as something to push away, the boys preferred to deal with it differently. In the words of Team Co-Captain Ranidel De Ocampo, Jr., “Blocking out the noise contradicts our ideals when taken verbatim.”

He explained, “The team believes a superior interpretation of the expression is embracing the noise: not to succumb to the fears and pressures, but to take whatever is thrown at us that is of value, discard any that is unwarranted, and utilize these as tools during our matches.”

Pressure floated through the gym as if it were sparks searching for a place to land. The team caught each one and turned it into heat, letting the noise ignite their will rather than scorch their confidence. Instead of haunting them, the noise became a fine-grained stone used to sharpen their instincts with every serve.

Mindset Under Construction

In the weeks leading up to the tournament, the players returned to the court again and again, polishing their play while also building a mindset. Afternoon practices stretched into fading daylight, as volleyballs slapped against hardwood and voices heard across the court. A single point, whether earned through a clean kill or lost in a messy scramble, no longer dictated the next. They gathered themselves, realigned, and pressed forward.

“Magfofocus lang po kami by not letting our losses affect our performance,” shared Offense Captain Ethan Rivera. He added, “We have nothing to lose but everything to gain, and we use every game as an opportunity to grow stronger collectively.”

In every rally, they leaned on one another, whether it was a setter’s familiar signal, a libero’s knowing gaze, or a wing spiker’s nod of certainty — these all became their map. Every soaring jump seemed to hang in the air longer than physics allowed, and every diving save carved streaks across the floor. Their mindset shielded them from the negativity surrounding their court, it was just the simple truth that they had each other that became their source of strength.

When the Volume Rose: Boys Amplified It With Silver

Under the bright lights, the pressure settled over the court like a tightening net, stretching with every point as the final moments unfolded. The boys traded rallies while keeping their focus as they read through each opponent’s move in real time. Coaches leaned forward with eyes sharp; the crowd pressed closer to the court’s edge, holding its breath between bursts of sound. Even the drumbeats seemed to hover — no longer frantic, but measured.

“The spectators, the coaches, and the team’s cheers echoed throughout the court,” recalled Defense Captain Jaime Avila. “What helped me stay composed was remaining focused on the goal and the objective that needed to be achieved.”

Their mental fortitude held, set after set, until the Ateneo Boys’ U18 Team secured a well-earned silver finish with their semifinals win against Noblesse International School (NIS), 25–22, 25–19, their grit shining brighter than the pressure that tried to shake them. However, Ateneo was taken over by Santo Domingo during the finals, 25–23, 22–25, 13–25.

De Ocampo reflected, “Bagamat nasasayangan kami at hindi namin nakuha ang inaasam na kampeonato, masaya pa rin kami sa naipakitang pagpupunyagi at pagpupursigi. The silver finish serves as an attestation that our team, even with our efforts, still needs to eat more vegetables.”

Girls Take the Crown

While the boys battled through their side of the bracket, the Ateneo Girls’ U18 Team approached the tournament with the goal of making history repeat itself. Many eyes were on them — being the defending champions — and with that came a different kind of pressure. 

It would have been easy to loosen their grip once the advantage became clear. Yet Team Captain Jelena Dait ensured the team held their focus. “It was tempting to get caught up in the moment,” she shared. “But we kept reminding ourselves that the job wasn’t done. We had to keep composure until we sealed our victory.”

Their discipline paid off as when the final whistle sounded, the Ateneo Girls’ U18 Team emerged champions of the BSM Term 1 Tournament with a dominant 25–8, 25–12 win over Junior Elite Volley Camp (JEVC), successfully retaining their title. 

“It was definitely rewarding to defend our title so convincingly,” Dait said. “The success reflected the team’s hard work and resilience finally bearing fruit.”

When the Court Grows Quiet

For these young athletes, success is not bound solely to the scoreboard. “Our vision of success remains unchanged,” Dait explained. “As our coach tells us, it’s not always about the score or winning the game. It’s about the work we put into everything and how we do it.”

This tournament, with their podium wins, became a scene etched in bright colors — with athletes standing tall beneath the lights, sweat still fresh, breath still uneven, yet carrying with them the weight of accomplishment that comes after giving everything.

The BSM Tournament showed how the Ateneo athletes met pressure head-on, stayed present in every play, and trusted themselves and each other when it mattered most. By the final whistle, they had played their game on their terms, and that was the real victory.