National University seniors Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon are eagerly looking forward to what lies ahead for the Lady Bulldogs, now that multi-titled coach Sherwin Meneses is at the helm, calling the shots.
Meneses recently replaced Norman Miguel and wasted no time in getting to work as the reigning UAAP champions represented the Philippines in the 2024 Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship.
Belen shared that everything clicked right away with Meneses, as seen in their respectable sixth-place finish in their international campaign.
“So nakita po namin na bagay siya sa team namin kasi nakita namin nung [AVC] na gumana agad kahit kaunting araw pa lang kami magkakasama,” said Belen after NU’s four-set win over Ateneo in the 2024 Shakey’s Super League Pre-season championship.
“Meron nga po kapag game namin, binibilang ni Coach Sherwin kung ilang araw pa lang siya nagti-training [sa’min].”
The team caught a glimpse of what they could achieve under their decorated new head coach, who recently led the Creamline Cool Smashers to five Premier Volleyball League titles, including a prestigious grand slam.
With that vision in mind, Belen and the Lady Bulldogs are filled with optimism as they prepare for their UAAP title defense.
(C) Roman Prospero/SSL
“Nagulat kami na wala pa pala siyang dalawang linggo, na parang ngayon pa lang na kaunting araw pa lang [namin siya kasama], nakikita na namin ‘yung improvements namin as a team. What more pa kapag tumagal-tagal pa kaming magkasama?” said the two-time UAAP MVP.
Solomon, meanwhile, expressed her satisfaction with the team’s progress under Meneses, particularly noting the positive impact of his coaching style.
“Super happy kami sa sistema ni Coach She [Meneses] kasi parang bumalik ‘yung tempo namin sa attacks, sa mga plays, and then kapag may nakikita siyang ‘di magandang ginagawa, kino-callout niya agad,” said the reigning UAAP Finals MVP.
Belen echoed Solomon’s sentiments, emphasizing their gratitude for having Meneses on their side, especially given his championship pedigree with Creamline.
“Syempre we’re very thankful kay coach Sherwin [Meneses] kasi galing siya sa champion team eh, grand slam pa sila so talagang ngayon, paunti-unti siyang naga-add sa sistema namin,” said Belen.
“Di naman po kami masyadong nahirapan kasi halos same lang naman ‘yung sistema namin sa NU at sistema niya sa Creamline. Naga-add lang siya paunti-unti, naguumpisa sa defense kasi ang forte po ni coach Sherwin ata ay defense,” she added.
For his part, Meneses expressed his confidence in the potential of this NU squad and is looking forward to further developing their skills and maximizing their abilities under his system.
“Wala naman, wala namang masyadong difference kasi isa lang naman ‘yung situation ng volleyball eh. Siyempre mga bata ‘yung handle mo dito, ‘di katulad sa pro na medyo experienced na. Pero about volleyball, same lang. May potential talaga ‘tong NU na ‘to.”
(With reports from John Paul Manahan)
