For the past three years, getting into the Finals has been anything but a breeze for the National University Bulldogs.
In Season 77, the veteran core of Peter Torres, Ben Inaudito, and Edwin Tolentino had to carry the Bulldogs past Mark Alfafara and the twice-to-beat University of Santo Tomas Tiger Spikers. In the following year, the new-look Bulldogs faced a stern challenge from the Adamson University Falcons, needing to exhaust their twice-to-beat incentive to shoot down their San Marcelino-based foes.
Season 79, however, saw a surprising turn for the Bulldogs that nearly ended in disaster.
The Far Eastern University Tamaraws, whom the Bulldogs beat in straight sets twice in the elimination round, were bent on reviving their proud volleyball tradition. The winningest program in the UAAP took a heated four-set win last Sunday to push the Bulldogs to a do-or-die match.
Despite having shown miles of improvement since last year, the Bulldogs nearly melted under the pressure. FEU’s rowdy play and solid serving, receiving, and attacking had nibbled away the young Bullodgs’ spirit, to the point that they found themselves down 16-20 in a must-win fourth set.
It would have been a perfect underdog story: a plucky FEU squad erasing the twice-to-beat advantage of the much taller, much harder-hitting Bulldogs to break a four-year Finals drought.
But it was just when the curtains was to shut on their season did the Bulldogs realize their potential.
NU burst out of the 16-20 hole to force a fifth set. In tears before entering the court for the decider, the Bulldogs pulled off an emotional, team-oriented rally to make it back to the Finals.
“Buti na lang, nagka-break kami at binigyan kami ng pagkakataon. Yung FEU, may kasamang suwerte,” thought NU head coach Dante Alinsunurin.
“‘Yun nga, sabi namin, ‘Sige, kung ano man ang mangyari, tiyagain lang namin.’ Buti nagtuloy-tuloy at nag-respond ang mga players ko.”
For the Bulldogs to make it past FEU, Alinsunurin had urged his boys to heed his call for unity and improved serving and receiving.
“Masuwerte sila (FEU) sa lahat ng ginagawa nila. Kami naman, sa halip na magtulungan, nagka-watak-watak. ‘Yung pupuntahan namin dapat ay ‘yung service receive namin, laging nawawala.
“Nakukuha namin yung momentum namin pero pag kami ang nagse-serve, nawawala. Sabi ko, eto lang ang pwede nating puntahan. Ito lang ang ating hahawak-hawakan papuntang Finals, yung service receive natin, kasi if wala talaga, walang mangyayari sa amin, hindi kami mananalo talaga,” the two-time champion coach shared.
Alinsunurin’s Bulldogs will now face the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles in the Finals for the fourth straight year. Since losing in the Season 77 Finals, NU have dropped 10 straight matches to the Blue Eagles.
But there is more optimism for NU this season.
Their once-young core of Bryan Bagunas, James Natividad, Kim Malabunga, Francis Saura, Kim Dayandante, and Ricky Marcos have all gained valuable experience since losing in the Finals last season. NU will also have veteran open hitter Fauzi Ismail back after they missed his high-voltage offense in last year’s Finals.
Additionally, the Blue Eagles have not played in nearly a month, so the Bulldogs believe they can pull off an upset against the two-time defending champions. The best-of-three Finals begins on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
As a former National Team player himself, Alinsunurin knows that long breaks could have negative effects on a players’ performance.
“Malaking advantage sa amin, kasi medyo yung pag player ka kasi, pag na-feel yung laro talaga, tuloy-tuloy na yun eh. Pag natigil ka, alam mo na, kakalawangin or magiisip ka ng mga bagay na negative or positive na makaka-apekto siya sa inyo, sa performance niyo, sa team niyo,” said Alinsunurin.
