The rhythmic pounding of drums and the thunderous ‘Go USTe’ chant will forever be one of the most, if not the most, iconic cheers in the UAAP.
For University of Santo Tomas, that chant — paired with a sea of yellow balloons swaying in unison — can ignite a fiery comeback or push the team to new heights in intense battles.
But for those on the opposing side, that thunderous cheer can be overwhelming and exhausting.
However, Bella Belen and National University, armed with nearly a decade of experience, have learned to thrive amidst the deafening roar of the ‘Go USTe’ chant.
Fortunately for the Lady Bulldogs, their own supporters arrived in force on Sunday evening, matching the energy of the Golden Tigresses’ faithful inside the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
In the end, NU matched the beat of the UST anthem, hitting every note perfectly to secure a hard-fought five-set victory, 23-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-18, 15-9, in front of 12,970 fans.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Hindi naman siya ganon nakakaapekto talaga sa amin pero dagdag lang siya… Nakaka-boost siya ng energy namin,” said two-time MVP Belen on the electrifying crowd that filled the Big Dome.
“Kasi yung UST, grabe yung crowd nila kanina. Pero buti na lang sanay na kami sa ‘Go USTe’ na chant, kasi since high school kalaban na namin sila eh,” she continued.
“I’m very thankful lang sa mga supporters namin kasi kahit na yun nga, down kami ng dalawang set, hindi namin naramdaman na naisip nila na matatalo na kami.”
Belen was instrumental in the Lady Bulldogs’ thrilling comeback win, tallying 19 points, 17 excellent digs, and 15 excellent receptions.
Alyssa Solomon led NU with 24 points, while Vange Alinsug and Erin Pangilinan chipped in 17 and 12 points, respectively.
Solomon and Belen delivered clutch performances in the fourth and fifth sets, powering NU to a crucial win in their first match-up since the Season 86 Finals.
“Binabalik lang namin kung ano yung suporta na binibigay sa amin ng NU community. Pinagtatrabahuhan namin para maipanalo namin yung games para sa amin at para sa kanila,” Belen said.
With a first-round sweep secured, expectations are now sky-high for the Lady Bulldogs to complete a 14-0 elimination round sweep and head straight to the Finals. But for Belen, whether they go undefeated or not, the ultimate goal remains the same.
“Hindi naman namin siya inexpect na masi-sweep namin yung first round. Kasi, at the end of the day, ang goal lang naman namin is mag-champion, so one game at a time lang kami. Matalo man, manalo, basta’t yung goal namin is nandun kami dapat sa dulo.”
