HEAD COACH: Regine Diego
LAST SEASON: 12-2 (champion)
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: Season 87 (2024-25)
LAST CHAMPIONSHIP: Season 87 (2024-25)
CHAMPIONSHIPS: 5
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SWEEPING changes are bound National U's way, as it plots a path toward an elusive three-peat.
Since completing that historic UAAP Season 84 title sweep, the Lady Bulldogs have ruled collegiate women’s volleyball for the better part of half a decade.
Bar a Season 85 stumble against La Salle, no program has truly cracked NU’s code nor matched the standard it has steadily raised in recent years.
What makes the run even more remarkable is that the blue-and-gold captured its last three championships under three different head coaches with Karl Dimaculangan in Season 84, Norman Miguel in Season 86, and Sherwin Meneses in Season 87.
With Regine Diego now at the helm, a fourth coach could potentially extend the dynasty yet again.
This time around, however, the landscape looks markedly different.
Two of the sport’s modern-day generational stars are no longer in Jhocson, as three-time MVP Bella Belen has taken her talents to the pros with Capital1, while Alyssa Solomon has opted to test herself overseas in Japan.
The question now facing the Lady Bulldogs is simple, yet daunting: who takes over the championship mantle and will it be enough to keep the dynasty alive?
New NU era
There’s no sugarcoating the void left by the Belen–Solomon 1-2 punch, especially in crunch time when National U often leaned on their sheer takeover ability.
Still, their arsenal is far from bare.
After several seasons of steady growth alongside those former stars, it will now be reigning Finals MVP Vange Alinsug’s offense to command.
Entering her fourth year with the Lady Bulldogs, she’ll no longer be a complementary piece, but a central pillar.
Standing beside her is the program’s next great hope: former UAAP juniors MVP Sam Cantada.
At just 18, the 5-foot-7 outside hitter has already flashed her scoring pedigree across multiple stages from the high school ranks to international duty with Alas Pilipinas Girls.
The collegiate spotlight is the last frontier, and all signs point to her being ready for it.
What NU also retains, crucially, is championship DNA. Cantada may be new to the UAAP grind, but she’ll be guided by a seasoned core led by multi-awarded setter Lams Lamina, along with veterans Shaira Jardio, Arah Panique, and Alexa Mata.
That blend of youthful firepower and hardened experience has long been the Lady Bulldogs' calling card, after all.
Survive and thrive again?
If history is any guide, National U's greatest strength lies in its adaptability.
Coaching changes have never diluted the Lady Bulldogs’ identity.
Instead, they’ve reinforced a culture where standards remain constant regardless of who’s calling the plays.
That said, the road to another title with a fourth head coach and a significantly retooled lineup won’t be smooth.
As rivals bolster their own artilleries and close the gap, this could be the first season in years where NU enters without the label of being the overwhelming title favorite.
Can NU still win it all? Absolutely. The pieces, pedigree, and system are still there.
The bigger question is whether, with the rest of the field surging forward, the Lady Bulldogs can once again stay a step ahead and prove that the dynasty isn’t defined by names, but by an unrelenting standard of excellence.
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Read up on what to expect from the other teams in UAAP Season 88 here:
UE UAAP 88 PREVIEW: Is there anything to look forward to for Lady Warriors?
ATENEO UAAP 88 PREVIEW: Blue Eagles remain upbeat for return to relevance
UP UAAP 88 PREVIEW: 'CAL Girls' should be undeniable for Maroons to be in the fight
ADAMSON UAAP 88 PREVIEW: Lady Falcons trust process of building around Shaina
FEU UAAP 88 PREVIEW: Lady Tams got grand plans of going 30 for 30
UST UAAP 88 PREVIEW: Tigresses all-in in Shaq-ing the system
LA SALLE UAAP 88 PREVIEW: All set or not, here come Angel-Shev-Amie anew for Lady Spikers
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