Lady Bulldogs take Game 1 with relative ease to set tone of repeat quest

Coach Sherwin Meneses hasn’t ever shied clear of letting folks know he simply inherited National University’s newly constructed custom of ladies’s volleyball excellence.

He as soon as heaped praises at the Lady Bulldogs’ poise and grit within the Final Four, when a re-emerging energy virtually knocked them off their lofty perch.

And now that they’re gunning for a repeat, enjoying every other facet this is very keen in dethroning his Bulldogs, Meneses noticed every other facet in his wards. And he didn’t mince phrases in telling everybody.

“I think NU showed something even better tonight—heart,” he advised the Inquirer at the heels of an authoritative 25-17, 25-21, 13-25, 25-17 Game 1 conquer La Salle within the Season 87 best-of-three identify playoffs earlier than a noisy crowd at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“La Salle, ever since, has always been competitive because their recruitment is solid … [But our players’] competitiveness showed [in this game],” Meneses went on as he persevered to distance himself from taking credit score for his team’s prolific appearing led through Vange Alinsug.

The third-year reverse hitter led the way in which with 21 issues, permitting the Lady Bulldogs to set the tone early on and blunt the Lady Spikers’ fightback after fightback earlier than 16,000 screaming fanatics.

Loss of center of attention

Save for a non permanent lack of center of attention within the 1/3 set, the Bulldogs had been in company command during the fit that lasted not up to two hours.

And whilst thankful for the end result, Alinsug framed the win on account of the paintings that they put previously few days.

“This is the most important—Game 1. Our six days of training [for this moment]showed results,” she mentioned.

Skipper and reigning MVP Bella Belen had 17 issues to head with 15 digs and 10 receptions, her triple double coupled with Alinsug’s sensible effort simply sufficient to show again a Lady Spikers team hell-bent on striking in combination what that they had was hoping to be a replay in their Season 85 come across, the place they swept the Bulldogs for the identify.

Angel Canino poured 22 in issues and added 13 receptions, whilst Shevana Laput chipped in 11 extra. But the duo couldn’t profit from the lukewarm offensive efficiency of Alyssa Solomon at the different finish, because the big name Bulldog completed with simply 9 issues.

And with La Salle’s function gamers infrequently making an affect, the Taft squad buckled beneath the relentless tempo in their enemy, and can now haven’t any different recourse however to win this Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City in the event that they hope for his or her season to increase.

Meneses, for his phase, is already bracing for that.

“We know La Salle. They won’t go down easily,” he mentioned. “Their fighting spirit is something else.”

But, understanding his gamers’ features, Meneses didn’t mince his phrases. Especially with the Lady Bulldogs at the fringe of what may well be the college’s first-ever back-to-back reign.

“But we’re ready for the pressure ahead. Whatever kind that be,” he mentioned with a grin. INQ