The National University Lady Bulldogs took a lot of heat after sustaining their first loss of UAAP Season 80 Women’s Volleyball Tournament.
After scoring wins over the league’s perennial juggernauts, the Lady Bulldogs dropped in four sets to the FEU Lady Tamaraws.
Four days later, the Lady Bulldogs wanted to come out with a statement win and disposed of the UP Lady Maroons in straight sets.
The win marked NU’s sixth victory in seven outings, the program’s best start in the Final Four era. Still, the Lady Bulldogs are aware that they left of points on the table against the Lady Maroons.
“Kasi sabi nga namin, today we’ll celebrate kasi first time na nag-rank one tayo, we’re celebrating. But hindi pa kami happy. Hindi pa kami ganoon ka-happy the way we played.
“‘Yung loss namin, hindi lang siya wake-up call, but it says so much about us. Ang daming sinabi tungkol sa amin, kung hanggang saan ba talaga kami, hangga’t saan pa namin pwedeng i-push ang sarili namin. I’m very happy with how the team is responding sa kanilang mga experience,” said NU head coach Babes Castillo.
“Actually ang sinabi ko lang naman sa teammates ko eh, ‘yung pagkatalo natin, hindi ‘yun ang magsasabi sa atin kung ano tayo.
“‘Yung pagkatalo nating ‘yun, ‘yun ang nagsasabi kung paano tayo babawi sa pagkatalo na ‘yun. ‘Yun ang sinabi ko sa kanila,” added NU ace Jaja Santiago who scored 17 points against UP.
In a sense, Castillo thought that the Lady Bulldogs needed the loss.
“Even before we started the season, alam ko, pinaliwanag ko sa kanila na itong biyaheng ito ng UAAP Season 80 will have three cycles,” shared Castillo. “So pumapasok pa lang tayo sa kalahati ng second cycle, so pag hinati mo siya into two rounds, that’s gonna be your downfall. So you have to look at it in three cycles, ‘yun ang sinabi ko sa kanila. I think, kaya nagiging effective sila.
“Kaya ‘yung pagkatalo nila, para sa akin, is a needed loss, so they can enter ‘yung pangalawang cycle. So ‘yun ang paghahanda namin, hindi namin siya tiningnan as two rounds lang, tiningnan namin siya as three cycles talaga.”
Though no schedule has been announced, the Lady Bulldogs might take on the DLSU Lady Spikers as their first match-up of the second round. Like in the first round, the Lady Bulldogs are up to the task of toppling the defending champions.
“Actually magandang laban, actually ‘yung La Salle-NU, kung unang-una. Siyempre hindi naman … alam namin na talagang babawi at babawi ang La Salle, pero pagta-trabahuhan namin, pag-iigihan namin,” Castillo expressed.
“Laban lang ng laban, kahit sinong kalaban, sige fight, ganoon.”
