WITH international women’s day on the marquee of National U's match-up with Ateneo, head coach Regine Diego recognizes - and actually relishes - this golden opportunity as just one of two female coaches in UAAP volleyball.
“Again, it's not easy to be a woman in this country. It's harder to be in a male-dominated industry. But I was put here by God because I have a purpose here," she told reporters right after the Lady Bulldogs made quick work of the hapless Blue Eagles.
"We're just happy to be here in this platform, in this arena to represent a lot of women, so as much as I can, I'm here to share whatever I know, whatever I learn along the way. And hopefully, more women can be up here with me and with all of us.“
Without a doubt, she's slowly but surely doing that, as with only the University of the Philippines getting the better of NU thus far, Diego and Co. currently occupy the second spot in the standings in just their first go-round without Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon.
READ: NU blasts Ateneo ahead of showdown with La Salle
Is that what a 'rebuilding' team looks like? The answer is no, yes?
So what’s helping them mesh this well, this early?
According to Diego, inheriting an already-supportive and headstrong team has its perks, saying, “I'm happy and lucky to have these girls with me who are very capable and very supportive of each other. And, you know, hopefully we get to improve every game.”
For Season 87 Finals MVP Vange Alinsug, though, the Lady Bulldogs also benefitted from having a woman as shot-caller for this new era of the blue-and-gold.
“Mas naiintindihan kami ni coach Reg kasi babae sa babae," she said, while making it clear that ex-coach Sherwin Meneses, in his own way, also got the best out of them.
Diego-gogo!
Rebuilding was a difficult adjustment for Alinsug and the rest of the holdovers, especially after the high of back-to-back titles.
But Diego has been instrumental in that process, being hands on not only on the court, but off of it, as well.
“Sa amin, hindi siya ganoon kadali kasi yun nga, rebuilding talaga kami. So nadadaan talaga namin siya sa paghihirap namin sa ensayo kasi doon namin mabubuo yung connection din namin sa kanya,” Alinsug, also their skipper, said.
For the first time ever, a woman is at the helm of this dynastic National U seniors squad - and the early returns of the post-Belen and Solomon era are promising.
Though whether or not they go win a three-peat is uncertain, what's looking more and more like a certainty is that coach Regine is exactly where she belongs.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
