By: Joaquin Cortez
National University may have lost program cornerstone Camille Clarin, but the team remains unfazed heading into UAAP Season 88.
Seniors Tin Cayabyab, Angel Surada, Ann Pingol, and Season 87 Rookie of the Year Cielo Pagdulagan are expected to form the core this season, tasked with continuing the Lady Bulldogs’ winning tradition.
Aloha Betanio was also named team captain, succeeding longtime leader Clarin.
NU forward Betanio acknowledged the bigger responsibilities ahead but expressed confidence that the Season 88 core can sustain the championship culture that has defined the Lady Bulldogs.
“Sobrang laki po ng shoes na ifi-fill-in,” Betanio said.
“Cause again, we’re talking about Camille Clarin and mahirap siyang palitan. Pero it’s a collective effort naman po ‘yong ginagawa namin, with Angel Surada, Karl Ann Pingol, Kristine Cayabyab and Cielo na mag-lead, mag-step up.”
(C) BLIA Cup
In Season 87, Clarin led the team in scoring with 10.3 points per game, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, while shooting 27.5% from beyond the arc during NU’s bounce-back season.
During her four-year stint with NU, which began in Season 82, the Filipino-Canadian skipper helped deliver three women’s 5-on-5 titles and a 3×3 title in Season 84.
Clarin also became a mainstay for Gilas Women, appearing in the 2021 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup and the 2025 FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup in Singapore last March, where she suffered a knee injury and settled for fourth place.
While Clarin remained quiet about her playing future after not exhausting her five-year eligibility, she was recently named one of the new analysts for the UAAP Season 88 broadcast pool, alongside Jed Colonia, Paul Zamar, and Kenneth Tuffin.
After being teammates with Clarin since Season 85, Betanio said the biggest lesson she learned from her ex-captain was the importance of drawing strength from the people around her.
“Hindi ka lang (dapat) mag-depende sa sarili mo. Get strength doon sa mga kasama mo. Hindi mo kailangan akuin dahil ikaw ‘yong leader; kailangan mo rin talagang mag-lean or mag-depende sa mga kasama mo,” she said.
“Pag-pinapakinggan mo sila, papakinggan ka rin nila kabalik sa team.”
#WATCH: Aloha Betanio on NU starting a new chapter without Camille Clarin and Coach Aris Dimaunahan 🐶🏀
📹 @joaquuiinn_ /Tiebreaker Times#UAAPSeason88 pic.twitter.com/fMCoX8VYxi
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 17, 2025
