The Sherwin Meneses era in National University came to a surprising end after the decorated volleyball coach opted not to renew his contract as head coach of the Lady Bulldogs ahead of the school’s title defense in UAAP Season 88.
Stepping in to fill the void is Regine Diego, who first served NU as head coach of the NU-Nazareth Lady Bullpups in the pre-pandemic years before taking on the role of assistant team manager last October 2024.
The development — first reported by Inquirer Sports on Wednesday evening — was later confirmed by a Facebook post from Meneses’ wife, Nerissa, nearly an hour after the news broke.
Nerissa clarified that when NU began preparations for Season 87, Sherwin only signed a one-year contract with the Lady Bulldogs, which has now expired.
“Just to set the record straight—[Sherwin] only signed a one-year contract with NU, which has now concluded,” Nerissa wrote on Facebook.
She also dismissed any speculation of a rift with the school’s management, stressing Sherwin’s respect for the institution that secured back-to-back UAAP women’s volleyball crowns last May.
“There is no issue or conflict with the NU management. He holds the institution and its leadership in the highest regard,” she added.
(C) PVL Images
In his lone year at the helm, Meneses steered NU to its third championship in four years, guiding the Lady Bulldogs to a golden repeat and capping the amateur careers of stars Alyssa Solomon and Bella Belen in storybook fashion.
The 43-year-old tactician led NU to a 12-2 elimination round record, securing the No. 1 seed before dispatching Far Eastern University in the Final Four and De La Salle University in the best-of-three finals.
Meneses’ last outing with NU came in July when the Lady Bulldogs ruled the SSL National Invitationals Davao leg.
Following his departure, the Adamson University alumnus will now focus fully on his role as Creamline head coach in the Premier Volleyball League, where the Cool Smashers recently settled for third place in both the On Tour and Invitational tournaments.
Tiebreaker Times reached out to Meneses for comment, but has yet to receive a response as of posting.
Diego, meanwhile, returns to familiar territory. She previously served as deputy to former NU head coach Norman Miguel in 2019 and 2020 before handling the now-defunct F2 Logistics in the PVL more than two years ago.
The former national girls’ volleyball team coach will inherit an intact NU core led by Season 87 co-Finals MVP Vange Alinsug and Shaira Jardio, alongside Arah Panique, Lams Lamina, Celine Marsh, and highly touted rookie Sam Cantada.
The Lady Bulldogs will open the Diego era this September when they gun for a fourth straight SSL preseason crown.
