UAAP volleyball is back and we all know what's the main plot.
Season 84 of women's volleyball was one for the books as the National University Lady Bulldogs ended a long title drought by winning a championship unbeaten behind Bella Belen, who became the league's first rookie MVP.
Since then, the Sampaloc-based squad showed no sign of slipping by winning the inaugural Shakey's Super League (SSL) preseason championship, taking down the De La Salle Lady Spikers once more via an emphatic sweep.
The Lady Bulldogs looked invincible, but don't tell that to a host of contenders - each one confident of dethroning them.
CAN ANYONE BEAT NU?
In hindsight, no one expected a 16-game sweep and a rookie MVP hailing from a school that was neither blue nor green. One year later, volleyball fans believe dealing NU its first defeat in 24 games across all competitions is a tougher feat to pull off.
Last year's Final Four contenders — La Salle, UST, and Ateneo — might just be the frontrunners to do so but the rest of the revamped UAAP cast are not giving up.
Familiar faces return from last season's title contenders as the likes of Jolina Dela Cruz, Eya Laure, and Faith Nisperos have their sights set on capturing the women's volleyball throne this year.
Adamson, FEU, and UP all underwent coaching changes in the offseason, with the Lady Falcons tapping Benilde's champion mentor Jerry Yee, the Tamaraws turning to its former star setter Tina Salak, and the Maroons securing the services of former national coach Shaq Delos Santos.
RISE OF THE ROOKIES
Season 84 yielded a batch of impressive finds. This year, some teams have opted to keep their new crop of rookies a secret for now but last year's SSL gave fans a glimpse of what's to come for Season 85.
The reigning UAAP champs lost Ivy Lacsina to the PVL club F2 Logistics, but can surround Belen with a host o promising youngsters led by Vange Alinsug and Myrtle Escanlar, whose lethal one-two punch gave NU a deeper attacking rotation en route to the SSL crown.
Meanwhile, former UAAP Juniors MVP Angel Canino made her long-awaited college debut for the green and white in the SSL and is expected to be the final piece in La Salle's frontline puzzle.
With Laure set for her UAAP swansong, a triple threat is brewing at España with the emergence of rookies Xyza Gula, Regina Jurado, and Pierre Abellana — all keen to relive UST's glory days in college volleyball.
BACK TO 'BARK'
Last time around, NU was driven by the goal of halting its 65-year title drought, for the sake of the community. This season carries special weight for this tightly-knit group as veteran stars Princess Robles, Jen Nierva, and Joyme Cagande are set for their UAAP swan songs.
Delivering a season to remember for their departing seniors will be the prime motivation for NU's title defense as the Lady Bulldogs look to cement a legacy for the core members of the school's most successful women's volleyball squad in over half a century.
A promising new chapter is about to be written for one of the UAAP's eight competing schools as Season 85 unfolds on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
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