The NU Lady Bulldogs turned things around at the perfect moment to secure their fourth UAAP title in Season 86.
In the words of Bella Belen—”Ibalik ang korona sa Sampaloc, Manila.”
And return the crown they did in UAAP Season 86.
It was mission complete for the NU Lady Bulldogs after recapturing the women’s volleyball title they had lost a season prior.
But the road to glory wasn’t easy for the Lady Bulldogs. Here’s a look back on NU’s redemption run in Season 86.
Slow start
In their opening match in Season 86, the Lady Bulldogs were humbled by a straight-sets defeat to the UST Golden Tigresses.
The following match also saw NU struggle against the Ateneo Blue Eagles, eventually securing a hard-fought five-set victory.
The Lady Bulldogs also felt defeat at the hands of the DLSU Lady Archers in the first round.
Of course, questions started to arise about whether or not the Jhocson-based squad could recover from their rather poor performances.
The answer? Absolutely.
“I think this is unpopular to everybody, [but] for me, sa tingin ko ngayon pa lang nagsta-start mag-recover 'yung team,” said then-head coach Norman Miguel. “They went to Dipolog to play for the University Games [and] luckily nag-champion, then after that, tuloy-tuloy kami sa training, we had a series of practice games against top club teams.”
“We had two wins, and one loss and then continuous pa rin ang training, so para sa akin, I think, medyo kulang pa sa recovery ‘yung team namin that’s why we perform like this,” he added.
[ALSO READ: UAAP: What's wrong with NU? Coach Norman Miguel offers explanation to Lady Bulldogs' slow start]
Strong second round
The Lady Bulldogs turned things around in the second round, sweeping the competition, including dominating wins over the Golden Tigresses and Lady Archers.
NU would go on to complete the second-round sweep after powering past the FEU Lady Tamaraws in straight sets, securing the top spot heading into the Final Four.
Still, the Lady Bulldogs, led by Belen and Alyssa Solomon remained focused on their ultimate goal.
"Hindi natatapos 'yung trabaho namin hangga't hindi pa tapos 'yung season. Kahit wala pa kaming talo this second round, hindi kami nagsa-stop kasi hindi naman 'yun 'yung goal lang namin," said Belen.
"Isa lang siya dun sa goal namin para maabot 'yung main goal namin. Siguro kailangan namin maging consistent pa lalo pabigat nang pabigat 'yung mga kalaban namin," she added.
[ALSO READ: 'Hindi natatapos 'yung trabaho namin': Bella Belen wants strong finish from NU as UAAP Final Four looms]
Redemption complete
In the Final Four, the Lady Bulldogs faced a tough stand from the Lady Tamaraws, who managed to force a do-or-die game.
But even with their backs against the wall and momentum not on their side, Belen and the rest of her teammates found a way to take down FEU to advance to their third straight Finals since Season 84.
Come the Finals, while most of the storylines centered on Belen’s friendship with UST’s Detdet Pepito, Solomon showed exactly why she is considered one of the best players in the league.
As Belen took home the MVP honors, Solomon also delivered on the biggest of stages, leading NU to a sweep of UST and bagging the Finals MVP award in the process.
In Game 1, the 22-year-old opposite hitter delivered an impressive 17 points, powering the Lady Bulldogs to a dominant straight-set win over the Golden Tigresses.
In Game 2, Solomon elevated her game even further, racking up 27 points through 20 attacks, four blocks, and three aces, ultimately leading her team to the championship.
“Siguro ‘yung competitiveness ko sa katawan, lumalabas. Parang hindi ako papayag na ginaganyan ‘yung team ko. Kailangan mas lumaban kami. Nakita ko rin naman ‘yung teammates ko na lumalaban lahat para sa amin,” said Solomon.
NU year, same result?
With Season 87 on the horizon, NU is looking scarier than ever with head coach Sherwin Meneses at the helm.
The Lady Bulldogs’ core also remains intact, meaning that they are primed for another championship run.
Maybe 2025 will be NU’s year for back-to-back championships? We’ll have to wait and see.