Stage has been set. National University (NU) and De La Salle University (DLSU) conquering Far Eastern University (FEU) and University of Sto. Tomas (UST) respectively in two heart-wrenching game.
Now, all eyes will be between NU and DLSU as the two-powerhouse team will meet again to establish their supremacy at the Season 87 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball tournament.
It will be a trifecta of sorts as the Lady Bulldogs and the Lady Spikers will dispute for the title in the last four seasons. It is now becoming a rivalry that everyone is looking for.
“We’re somewhat happy with the result,” the Lady Spikers head coach Ramil de Jesus said after their semifinal win. “We had a slow start and took a while to adjust, which is why I had to rotate the setter early. Fortunately, it worked. I’m expecting us to move even better in the next game (against NU) — we still have a lot to fix.”
On the other hand, health will be the NU Lady Bulldogs’ utmost priority ahead of the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball finale. After a grueling five-set win against the FEU Lady Tamaraws, the defending champions aim to stay in top shape for their best-of-three title clash against the La Salle Lady Spikers starting on May 11 at the Araneta Coliseum.
“I told them that we need to go over the next week with great preparation, less injury, and no accidents,” NU head coach Sherwin Meneses said in Filipino as the Lady Bulldogs pulled off a reverse sweep in eliminating the fourth-seeded Lady Tamaraws en route to the finals for the fourth straight season.
“We should be healthy when we get to the finals so we can have a bigger chance to defend the crown for NU,” Meneses added.
Back in Season 84, the Lady Bulldogs turned heads led by then-rookie-Most Valuable Player (MVP) Bella Belen, who spearheaded a historic dream campaign, 14-0 sweep en route to a title win over the Lady Spikers.
But Season 85 was a different story with La Salle mounting a near-perfect run to reclaim the crown behind its own freshman phenom, Angel Canino — the league’s second rookie-MVP.
In Season 86, the Lady Spikers’ championship journey was halted in the Final Four by a resurgent UST squad, which played spoiler and ended La Salle’s title defense in heartbreak.
On the other hand, the Lady Bulldogs capitalized on the opening and went on to defeat the Golden Tigresses in the finals to reclaim the crown.
Season 87 will be a story waiting to be written. For the Taft-based volleyball squad, it will not just be a run for the championship. It will be about getting back at the strong Lady Bulldogs who have been dominating the UAAP. For NU, it’s about establishing greatness. Being part of the annals of volleyball history, being the most dominant force in women’s volleyball.
Can’t wait for their stories to unfold.
