NATIONAL University head coach Regine Diego did not hide the weight of what the Lady Bulldogs have been going through.
After running into one hurdle after another in their title defense, Diego admitted this stretch has been far from easy for the reigning champions.
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Back-to-back losses to University of the Philippines and La Salle have shaken NU’s once-solid contender status, with the Lady Spikers even completing a first-round sweep of the Lady Bulldogs.
“To be honest, it's a challenging time,” Diego said.
“Mas mataas na ‘yung pressure, mas kailangan nang manalo. Ang daming factors na we are trying to manage, but the only thing that pushes us and that will push us in the future is if we play together, if we work together, because nobody can do it alone.”
For Diego, one of the biggest tasks now is keeping the team steady emotionally as much as tactically.
“We have to manage our emotions because sometimes our emotions will get in the way. Ganun lang siya. Keep doing and working the best that we can,” she added.
Coach Reg’s reality check
NU may have won its last three titles under three different coaches in Karl Dimaculangan, Norman Miguel, and Sherwin Meneses, but this version of the Lady Bulldogs is facing a different kind of test.
The program’s dynastic run had long been cushioned by generational stars like Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon.
This time, Diego inherited not a fully intact powerhouse, but a champion squad in transition.
That alone was enough to remind her from day one that nothing would come easy.
“From the start, tinaasan ko na ‘yung expectations ko na this is not going to be easy. Not just for me, but for the team,” said Diego.
“It has always been one of the first few things I've said to the team when I came in. This is what I said to myself when I came in.”
And in Diego’s mind, the demands of coaching leave little room to dwell too long on either heartbreak or success.
“I only give 24 hours to feel anything after a defeat, after a win because there's always a next game,” she said.
“So after 24 hours, I need to keep working because after that, the world will not stop if we lose or if we win. We just have to continue all the time.”
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