MANILA, Philippines — Benson Bocboc may still be adapting to a new culture at University of the Philippines, but he is choosing to focus on the sport as their common ground ahead of his first stint as head coach in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament. 

From being part of coach Ramil De Jesus’ staff in La Salle for the past years, Bocboc is ready for the challenge of leading a young UP squad, which seeks to rise from its past forgettable seasons.

Article continues after this advertisement

SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 87 volleyball tournament first round

“Right now, I’m just focusing on volleyball. I’m not thinking about anything else outside of it,” Bocboc told reporters.

Bocboc, currently the Farm Fresh coach in the PVL, looks to bring his coaching experience from La Salle and defunct F2 Logistics to the Fighting Maroons, who are led by rookies Kianne Olango and Yesha Noceja and holdovers Irah Jaboneta, Nina Ytang, Nica Celis, and Joan Monares.

Article continues after this advertisement

“The UAAP isn’t new to me, but the environment with a different team is,” he said. “Hopefully, we can push things to the level I’m used to. Of course, the players and the school are different, but at the end of the day, it’s still volleyball.”

READ: UAAP Season 87 volleyball: storylines and games to watch out for

“Little by little, I hope we can translate what we’ve been working on into our games and see the improvement.”

In his first UAAP stint as head coach, Bocboc is relieved that he is bringing experience from the pros, learning from both levels even with UP.

“It was like back-and-forth—sometimes in favor of Farm Fresh, sometimes in favor of UP. You learn from both sides, not just because one team is pro,” Bocboc said. “It’s a big thing that we’re able to see these situations early, even before the season starts. That way, we can already make a lot of adjustments.”

Bocboc makes his UAAP coaching debut when UP battles UE on Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.