It's UAAP Season 88 Volleyball Sunday featuring the depending champion clash against UST Golden Tigresses in the women's meanwhile 6x time men's volleyball champion NU Bulldogs faces usual nemesis UST Tigresses. This is a much-watch collegiate volleyball games.
Adamson and Ateneo clash in the earlier games both on men's and women's.
The National University Lady Bulldogs kickstart their 3-peat bid at the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena Sunday.
The Lady Bulldogs battle the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses for their first match of the year at 3 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena, succeeding the game between the Adamson Lady Falcons and the Ateneo Blue Eagles at 1 p.m.
“We just have to work as a team,” said NU coach Regine Diego, who’s making her head coaching debut in the UAAP collegiate level after handling the NU girls high school team in a Season 82 sweep in 2022.
“We have to gel because Bella’s time has come to an end, and it was such a time. We want to start and restart as champions,” added Diego, who coached the defunct F2 Logistics in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) in 2023.
NU isn’t only beginning life without 3-time MVP Belen, the Jhocson-based team is also waging war without another ace winge Alyssa Solomon who left to Japan for a professional stint.
Middle blockers Sheena Toring and Erin Pangilinan have also moved to the pro ranks.
Still, the Lady Bulldogs remain solid at least on paper with reigning Best Setter Lams Lamina and co-Finals MVPs in spiker Vange Alinsug and libero Shaira Jardio.
The other NU holdovers are Alexa Mata, Chams Maaya, and Arah Panique joined by rookie Sam Cantanda, who bagged the Season 87 High School Girls MVP plum.
With this core, Diego believes that the Lady Bulldogs are not rebuilding but just continuing their championship aspirations.
“Well, of course, there will always be pressure here in the UAAP — it’s the NU team. Everything has challenges, and everything is pressure for me. But I just want to see them play their best,” said Diego.
