If NU's 5-set game against Adamson, one that it won last Wednesday, was a mere tap on the Lady Bulldogs, its 5-set game against UST, one that it lost on Saturday, is now a kick in the face wake-up call for the defending champs.
That is how Bella Belen described the Lady Bulldogs' loss to the Golden Tigresses on March 4 in the UAAP Season 85 women's volleyball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The defeat snapped NU's 20-game winning run dating back to the aborted Season 82 in 2020.
It was also the Lady Bulldogs' first loss since April 27, 2019, with the Golden Tigresses also the ones handing them the defeat.
"Their hunger in the fifth set, as coach (Karl Dimaculangan) said, showed that they really wanted to win more than we did," said Belen, who notched 17 points and 14 excellent receptions. "The Adamson game was a tap on us (to wake up) but now we really got kicked to make us wake up – that just because we swept all of last season, it doesn't mean that things are not going to be easy for us this year."
Belen also rued, indirectly, that the Lady Bulldogs' hunger this season pales in comparison to the ones they had last year.
"We must prepare better. I think our hunger before compared to now is different. This loss is really a wake-up call that we shouldn't be satisfied with what we achieved last season."
Seeing the silver lining, Belen said that it's actually good that they lost now as the pressure of keeping their unbeaten run is now diminished.
"The pressure on us got lessened, especially for us (from the NU girls volleyball team). We never lost in high school and we swept last season so there's less pressure.
"Now, we just go back to the team and we reflect on ourselves to see what can we improve from this game."
Bella Belen on NU's 5-set loss to UST:
— Niel Victor Masoy (@NielMasoy) March 4, 2023
"Yung sa Adamson kinalabit lang kami, ngayon parang sinipa na kami para magising kami na hindi porket na sweep namin last season, magiging madali na lang samin ngayon."#UAAPSeason85 @TheManilaTimes pic.twitter.com/nd1VR7EHPs