National University’s three-year wait for the return of men’s volleyball in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines was all worth it.
All the sacrifices and hard work the Bulldogs put in paid off when they ruled Season 85 following a 16-0 sweep of the competition.
NU did not give an inch to finals rival University of Santo Tomas in the best-of-three series-clincher, winning Game 2 in an empathic fashion, 25-20, 25-21, 25-20, for a three-peat last Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“I’m very proud of our achievement. It’s rare to accomplish a 16-0 season but what is important is that the players enjoyed this season and there are no serious injuries,” Bulldogs head coach Dante Alinsunurin said after steering his squad to its fifth title overall — all under his watch.
“Hopefully my career in volleyball, as well as NU’s volleyball program, will continue to flourish,” the mentor added.
NU, which was unbeaten in a total of 34 games since 2019, became the second team to achieve the feat after the Marck Espejo-led Ateneo de Manila University did it in 2017.
But what made this historic run a lot sweeter for the Bulldogs was the fact that they did it after a three-year pandemic-forced hiatus.
“We’re all excited to play after that three-year break,” Best Setter and Final Most Valuable Player Owa Retamar said.
“Right from the start (of this season) we tried to join as many tournaments as we can and we became champions in some to prepare for the UAAP,” he recalled.
Nico Almendras, who like Retamar suddenly found himself as one of the seniors in their return after the cancellation of Season 82, shared that the long wait made the Bulldogs hungrier.
“When we returned after three years, we’re really hungry to play and win,” he said.
It was not an easy transition for the team though.
“During the pandemic, honestly, we gained weight. So, in our return to training, we really worked hard to get back into shape with the help of our conditioning coach,” Almendras added.
Alinsunurin ultimately gave credit to his boys for their perseverance and dedication during the offseason which paid dividends in the end.
“Since March when our players came back, all that we wanted them to do inside the court or in training they’re able to execute despite our long layoff,” Alinsunurin said.
“So I’m really happy that in our training everything that we teach them fits the team perfectly,” he added.
“Hopefully, we can sustain this momentum for our men’s team.”
