NATIONAL University is not taking Game 2 lightly as it faces a De La Salle side seeking to force a decider in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball Finals today (Wednesday) at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Eyeing a historic back-to-back championship for the first time in school history, coach Sherwin Meneses wanted his Lady Bulldogs to follow their game plan to the letter in the 5 p.m. match.
“Lagi naman, after game lagi kong sinasabi sa kanila na yung close out talga ang pinakamahirap. Pati nga yung second set eh, sabi ko sa kanila, talagang kailangan magpakapagod lang kami, magfocus sa ginagawa namin. Syempre pinakamahalaga is di ka mawala sa focus na ‘okay nakuha nila yung third set, recover lang palagi’. Volleyball naman is recover naman talaga lagi. So hopefully, lesson samin yung nangyari,” said Meneses, who is hoping to end his first season with NU as champion.
(“I always tell them after every game that closing out is really the hardest part. Even in the second set, I told them that we really have to exhaust ourselves and focus on what we’re doing. Of course, the most important thing is to never lose focus, even when the opponent gets a set like in the third—we just have to keep recovering. Volleyball is always about recovery. So hopefully, what happened serves as a lesson for us.”)
Except for the third set, the Lady Bulldogs were imposing with a 25-17, 25-21, 13-25, 25-17 victory over the Lady Spikers last Sunday.
NU has a perfect 3-0 record this season against De La Salle.
The Lady Bulldogs are hoping to give reigning MVP Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon a fitting send-off to their collegiate careers and formalize the passing of the torch to Vange Alinsug, who scored a career-high 21 points in the opener.
Alinsug is expected to lead NU next season, and the Finals are serving as a preview of the post-Belen and Solomon era.
It all boils down to how the Lady Spikers will respond to the tough loss, as Lams Lamina, the ace Lady Bulldogs playmaker, put up a masterclass against rookie Mikole Reyes and substitute setter Jules Tolentino in Game 1.
Expect Angel Canino and Shevana Laput to continue to churn out their usual numbers for De La Salle, while Em Provido and Lilay del Castillo, the team’s top blockers, need to get more touches on offense.
Far Eastern University, meanwhile, hopes to annex its first men’s title since 2012 and end NU’s reign in the 1 p.m. match.
Coach Eddieson Orcullo knows that the Tamaraws were very determined to secure a record 26th title after showing grit in last Sunday’s 22-25, 25-22, 13-25, 25-22, 15-13 victory over the five-peat seeking Bulldogs.
“Gutom kami kaya siguro naging ganoon yung laro. Yung gutom kasi minsan ang daming nagagawa sa preparation sa kung pano mo gagawin yung bagay na gusto mong kunin yung isang bagay. Yun nga yung pinag-usapan namin ng boys, even the coaches, na pilitin nating kunin kasi prepared naman tayo eh. Prepared naman yung team sa lahat nang mangyayari. Siguro yung pagkagutom namin sa Finals, kailangan magtuloy-tuloy,” said Orcullo.
(“We were hungry—that’s probably why the game turned out that way. Hunger can really do a lot when it comes to preparation and how you execute the things you want to achieve. That’s what we talked about with the boys, even the coaches—that we have to go for it, because we’re prepared. The team is ready for whatever happens. Maybe this hunger of ours in the Finals has to continue.”)
NU coach Dante Alinsunurin remains upbeat about forcing a rubber match.
The Tamaraws’ chemistry was present,t and Alinsunurin wanted his Bulldogs to match their intensity to live another day.
“Sa pagbabago ng FEU? Siyempre ano, in terms naman sa lineup, sila ‘yung pinaka-intact talaga eh. Almost third year and fourth year ‘yung team na ‘yon. Siguro in terms sa mindset talaga medyo kanina, talagang sobrang lumamang sa amin talaga. Pero sabi ko nga, kasama ‘to sa paglaro para mas mag-improve pa ‘yung team,” said Alinsunurin.
