NU completed a season sweep of UAAP men’s and women’s volleyball championships in 2024. UAAP photo
Historic 2024 for NU Bulldogs in volleyball
IT was a historic 2024 for National University’s collegiate volleyball program.
From being perennial also-rans, the Bulldogs have emerged as a modern UAAP power, as the women’s squad reclaim the championship it last won via 16-0 sweep in 2022, while the men’s team completed a rare four-peat last May.
NU ended Season 86 with a sweep of collegiate volleyball titles, the first by any program since Ateneo, starring phenoms Alyssa Valdez and Marck Espejo, last did the trick in 2015.
The Bulldogs actually came one division short of an even rarer achievement — an event sweep as NUNS was foiled by Adamson in the high school girls’ Finals last February. The Bullpups, meanwhile, returned to the boys’ throne.
When high school volleyball shifted back to first semester when Season 87 began last September, the event sweep remained elusive for the Jhocson-based program. The Bullpups ended the Baby Falcons’ girls reign in their Finals rematch, but the boys squad’s quest for a back-to-back fell short.
Alyssa Solomon and Buds Buddin were instrumental in NU’s golden double, as they put up a show in sweeping University of Santo Tomas in the Finals in their respective divisions.
Hours after capturing her second Best Opposite Spiker award, Solomon had 27 points on 20-of-37 kills, four blocks and three aces in the clincher as the Lady Bulldogs won their fourth title overall.
Solomon showed up in Game 1 to atone from her disappointing performance in the Final Four against Far Eastern University with 17 points, including three blocks.
“Siguro yung pagiging competitive ko ay lumalabas sa diwa na hindi ako papayag na ganyan lang ang ipakitang laro ng team ko, kailangan naming lumaban ng mas matindi,” said Solomon.
“Nakikita ko rin naman silang lumalaban para sa amin.”
A part of the NUNS core that went up to the collegiate ranks, including two-time season MVP Bella Belen, Sheena Toring, Erin Pangilinan, Camilla Lamina, and Chams Maaya, a grateful Solomon is thankful from her previous coaches in girls and women’s division for what she is right now.
Babes Castillo and Regine Diego were part of the highly-successful Bullpups program, as well as Karl Dimaculangan, Norman Miguel’s top assistant to steered NU in ending a 65-year championship drought in 2022.
“Sobrang pasasalamat sa mga dating coach namin na nagbigay sa amin ng kakayahan na maging ganito kalakas, lalo na sa mga mahahalagang yugto ng mga torneo,” said Solomon.
“Yung hugot namin kanina galing sa mga dating coach namin na nagturo sa amin na magsikap mula umpisa hanggang wakas, 100 percent effort,” the Finals MVP added.
The Lady Bulldogs remain formidable with decorated PVL coach Sherwin Meneses manning the sidelines in Season 87 starting February.
Suffering a fractured right hand prior to the season, Buddin had to sit out in the Bulldogs’ first nine matches in the elimination round as coach Dante Alinsunrin is trying to keep his squad in the top two.
Buddin made it his mission to contribute to NU’s cause once he’s cleared to returned, and he did just that after coming up big for the team in their Finals rematch against the Golden Spikers.
Buddin was efficient in Game 2 with 15-of-30 kills and had nine receptions. He delivered a game-high 28 points on 22-of-40 kills, five blocks, and had 16 receptions in the clincher.
“Sobrang saya, siyempre. Yun naman talaga yung unang goal ko bago ako bumalik, yung makatulong sa team,” said Buddin, last season’s Second Best Outside Spiker.
“Siguro naman nagawa ko naman na ‘yung part ko, kasi nakuha namin ‘yung kung ano ‘yung goal ng team, which is ‘yung four-peat,” he added.
Finals MVP and Best Setter Owa Retamar and Nico Almendras, who have graduated as champions, are upbeat that Buddin will continue the Bulldogs’ winning legacy.
NU became the first team secure a four-peat in men’s volleyball, last achieved by UST, spanning from 2008 to 2011.
That’s a remarkable achievement for the Bulldogs, who are determined to extend their reign as they brace for the post-Retamar and Almendras era.
In high school volleyball, NUNS reclaimed the girls throne as it avenged last February’s Finals defeat to Adamson via a 2-0 championship sweep last December 7.
A determined Junior Golden Spikers crew also completed a two-game Finals sweep, unseating the Bullpups to secure their first boys title since 2017.
NUNS became the second most successful girls program with its seventh title, dislodging UST’s six.
New sand court queens
NU made the impossible possible, winning its first-ever women’s title as season MVP Honey Grace Cordero and Kat Epa outlasted UST’s Sofiah Pagara and Khy Progella, 21-16, 19-21, 15-11, in a thrilling one-off final at Sands SM By The Bay last November 26.
The victory was sweet for the Lady Bulldogs, who were runner-ups in the last two seasons and lost to the Tiger Sands in the elimination round finale.
But NU won’t be denied, spoiling UST’s quest for a record 10th women’s championship.
“Sobrang saya po nanalo kami ng championship against UST dahil defending champion po sila. May pride po sila para maipaglaban ang championship,” Cordero said.
“Pero hindi kami sumuko at ipinaglaban namin kung ano ang dapat ipinaglaban namin,” she added.
There’s is still something to celebrate for the Tiger Sands, as tournament MVP Dominique Gabito and Alche Gupiteo carried the men’s squad to a six-peat and a ninth crown overall by sweeping the Bulldogs’ Alex Iraya and Sky Gemarino, 21-13, 21-16.
UST went undefeated in nine matches without dropping a set.
