PVL Grand Slam champion coach Sherwin Meneses couldn’t ask for a better beginning to a new UAAP journey with the NU Lady Bulldogs.
It was a fairy tale beginning for new NU head coach Sherwin Meneses as the Lady Bulldogs showed out with a domineering three-set win over new-age rivals DLSU Lady Spikers in their opening game of UAAP Season 87 on Sunday.
Less than 24 hours after seeing his Creamline Cool Smashers lose their league-leading win streak in the PVL, Meneses had something to be happy about for the weekend as defending champion Lady Bulldogs crushed their former title rivals in a three-set flourish, 25-23, 25-21, 25-18.
[RELATED: Bella Belen, champion NU Lady Bulldogs assert status with sweep of UAAP rival La Salle]
Entering the NU program with high expectations, Meneses relished being able to take such a confident win in his first foray back into UAAP volleyball.
“Syempre happy ako na nanalo kami. In five sets or three sets, pareho lang naman. Pero syempre [yung panalo na] three sets medyo mahirap gawin sa La Salle so happy kami kasi nakuha namin sa straight sets," said Meneses, who previously served as head coach for the Adamson Lady Falcons.
Going up against such a storied program like La Salle’s was a delight to Meneses, especially as he saw his new players stepping up to the challenge against fellow women’s volleyball giants like themselves.
“Nung una, excited talaga [ako]. Syempre La Salle yung makakalaban namin. Second, happy talaga ako kasi three straight sets ka nanalo and syempre yung mga players talagang nagre-respond kapag kinakausap mo,” said Meneses.
“Masaya, masaya ako sa first game ko sa pagbalik ko sa UAAP. Yung mga veteran players namin talagang nagtrabaho ngayon. Gustong gusto nila talaga nilang manalo," he added.
Meneses coached in the UAAP with the Lady Falcons back from 2012 to 2016 before taking his talents to the pros, finding super success with the Cool Smashers.
Now that he’s back in the collegiate scene, Meneses is eager to integrate his system to further enrich an already successful NU squad.
As early as opening weekend, Meneses is happy to see that the players are responding well and it can actually translate into wins, especially with NU preparing to defend its title, looking for a third crown in the last four seasons.
[RELATED: Bella Belen, Alyssa Solomon happy to start NU’s UAAP title defense on a strong note]
"Actually, yung sistema naman, tinutulungan lang ma-improve talaga yung NU kasi medyo talagang may sariling galing sila. Di lang kami nagsasawa na magsabi na meron pang ibang dapat gawin para maging mapadali yung mga games. So, tulong-tulong lang kami ng mga coaches na ma-improve every training lang talaga. Yung sistema lagi namang nanjan yan eh,” said Meneses.
“Syempre time lang din talaga makakapagsabi kung talagang nagiging maganda o hindi pero ayun nga, nagre-respond naman yung mga players so happy kami at talagang yung sistema kahit papaano is naa-apply," he added.
Meneses and the Lady Bulldogs face their next test when they play the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Wednesday, February 19, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.