MANILA, Philippines — Ranidel De Ocampo Jr., the son of the PBA and Gilas Pilipinas legend, is looking to make his mark in volleyball after shifting sport from basketball.

From playing in the inaugural UAAP junior high school basketball tournament, the 16-year-old De Ocampo decided to explore his talent and play for the Blue Eagles in the Season 87 boys’ volleyball tournament.

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The second-generation student-athlete has been enjoying his time as a middle blocker for Ateneo, but he admitted that he still has a lot to work on since taking his act to volleyball last summer.

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“I’m happy because I’m improving little by little. I just need to clean up my work since I’m still new. I’ll keep working to improve my game,” said De Ocampo in an interview with the UAAP media team.

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The 6-foot-6 De Ocampo admitted that his decision to switch from basketball to volleyball wasn’t easy because he didn’t want to disappoint his parents, who influenced him to play basketball, and his coaches.

“It was a bit hard to leave basketball. I didn’t want to disappoint them by leaving. So I really talked to my basketball coaches. I apologized and told them that I chose to switch,” said the Blue Eagle, who was influenced by his sisters Stephanie and Madelaine to play volleyball.

Ranidel De Ocampo Jr. playing for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 87 boys’ volleyball tournament. –UAAP PHOTO

“For me, my parents influenced me to play basketball. I tried to push myself in basketball, but eventually, I felt like I couldn’t handle it anymore. My two older sisters are volleyball players. When I play, I enjoy it,” he added.

READ: Ranidel De Ocampo retires after 15 PBA seasons

The 16-year-old De Ocampo got an opportunity to play after Ateneo boys coach Babes Castillo discovered him in the Jesuit Athletic Meet (JAM) in Laguna and urged him to try the sport.

“He talked to my former classmate. Then he said I should give it a try. When I tried it, coach Babes talked to me and said that when I trained in volleyball, it seemed like I was enjoying it. He told me that if I wanted to try it, I was welcome,” he said.

The towering teenager accepted the offer to try volleyball under Castillo, who was the architect of the Nazareth School’s success in girls’ volleyball and develoiped the country’s top players Faith Nisperos, Thea Gagate, Jennifer Nierva, Bella Belen, Alyssa Solomon, and Ivy Lacsina during their high school years. He also handled Jaja Santiago and Jasmine Nabor at the collegiate level.

READ: Ranidel De Ocampo open to coaching after retirement

The younger De Ocampo said his father has been very supportive of his son’s decision and continues to give him advice even if he’s already playing a different sport. 

“He just told me to keep working because if I stop, it will be a big setback for me. So just focus, work hard, enjoy, and listen to the coaches,” said De Ocampo Jr.

The Ateneo middle blocker, currently ranked as the league’s seventh-best blocker with 12 kill blocks, 17 attacks, and an ace, mentioned that he is still adjusting to the speed, mental aspect, team communication, and intensity of volleyball as he continues to apply what he learned from his previous sport.

“In basketball, when I lose my composure, my game really doesn’t go well. I also learned how to gain trust in my teammates. In basketball, I had to communicate more with the players and teammates. I also learned to always be prepared,” he said. “When I was playing basketball, I didn’t really trust myself much. So now, I plan to make up for that in volleyball.”

De Ocampo admits that things are not yet in stone whether he will continue playing volleyball or if he is still open to returning to the hard court or even playing both. 

But one thing is for sure, he is having a fun time playing on the taraflex. 

“Until now, I’m still thinking if leaving basketball was the right decision, especially if I left the right way. But for now, I feel happy with volleyball,” he said.