Sweeping the first round is quite an achievement, but for Sherwin Meneses, National University is still far from reaching its peak despite its spotless record.
The Lady Bulldogs completed a clean sweep of the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball first round on Sunday evening with a hard-fought victory over the UST Golden Tigresses, 23-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-18, 15-9, at the packed Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Despite the impressive feat — which holds no immediate advantage compared to an outright Finals berth for sweeping the entire elimination round — Meneses believes there’s still much to improve as they enter the second round.
“Siguro sa second round, talagang tatrabahuhin lang namin makuha yung A-game ng NU, yung familiarization ng sistema, dapat makuha namin hanggang dulo,” said Meneses, a seven-time PVL champion coach.
“Mag-improve lang kami sa system namin. Yung A-game ng NU, mas marami pang magandang laro ang mabibigay ng NU,” added the first-year Lady Bulldogs head coach.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Although NU’s 7-0 record may suggest dominance, the decorated mentor warned against falling into complacency heading into the next phase of the season.
Out of their seven wins, five came in straight sets, while they had to dig deep in five-set thrillers against Far Eastern University and UST.
“Mahaba pa yung UAAP eh, so walang time para mag-relax. Talagang hanap kami ng paraan para ma-improve pa kami sa practice at sa game,” Meneses emphasized.
“Marami pa, every training na ma-improve talaga, especially yung block namin. Talagang pag-aaralan naming mabuti.”
The Lady Bulldogs dominated four of the six statistical categories after the first round, ranking first in spiking, digging, setting, and receiving. They also placed second in service and fourth in blocking.
With seven more matches remaining before the playoffs, Meneses also stressed the importance of keeping his players in top physical condition.
“Ngayon, yung mindset namin sa second round ay para mai-stick namin hanggang dulo yung kundisyon ng katawan namin kasi medyo maraming laro. Hopefully, less injuries kami, ganon din sa iba, para makalaro hanggang dulo,” he concluded.
