FOR the last two seasons, the UAAP women's volleyball title was brought either to Jhocson or Taft.
The first chapter of this brewing rivalry back in Season 84 saw the meteoric rise of the National University Lady Bulldogs, who completed a 16-game season sweep and ended a 65-year title drought while crowning the tournament's first-ever rookie MVP in Bella Belen.
READ: La Salle's UAAP title defense begins on opening day vs Adamson
And just a year later through another rookie MVP in Angel Canino, the De La Salle Lady Spikers responded with a 15-win campaign to gain a measure of revenge against NU for the school's 12th title - and fourth in the last six seasons.
With a stacked Season 86 field on the horizon, has the time finally come for a new challenger to stake its claim against the two powerhouses, or is the sought-after tiebreaking trilogy written in the stars?
Lady Falcons ready to soar
Coming off a bronze medal finish last year and a red-hot preseason run topped by lifting the Akari Cup against pro league opposition, there's no limit on what Adamson can pull off in Season 86.
Sans a handful of its eclectic core in Louie Romero, Trisha Tubu, Kate Santiago, Lorene Toring, Ckyle Tagsip, Cae Lazo, and ex-head coach Jerry Yee, the Lady Falcons' new leaders on the sidelines and the court are already proving that they can hit new height as they usher in a new chapter of Adamson volleyball.
"Nakita na nila ‘yung potential nila na if they really need to win talaga at nandun ‘yung thinking na gusto talaga nila manalo, kaya nila eh. Sabi ko nga, walang problema ‘yung skills natin. It’s how we think lagi kasi ‘yun ‘yung ma-popossess natin kapag naglalaro tayo," said newly-minted Adamson head coach JP Yude.
"Siyempre tough at first ['yung pagkawala ni Lorene Toring] kasi nakita namin kung paano siya sa training namin, pero wala na kaming magagawa doon. Kailangan naming mag-move forward. Ganu'n talaga, aksidente eh. Kailangan mag-move forward at lumaban talaga kami," Lady Falcons senior Lucille Almonte added in light of Toring's season-ending ACL injury.
Year of the Golden Tigress
As the formidable University of Sto. Tomas enters its next chapter without the likes of Eya Laure, Imee Hernandez, and Milena Alessandrini, the new generation of Golden Tigresses will lead the school's bid to snap its 15-year title drought.
With a top-caliber rookie spiker in the 2023 Shakey's Super League 2nd best outside spiker Angeline Poyos and the return of UST's last title-winning coach Shaq Delos Santos as a deputy, the ingredients for a championship charge are surely in place. It'll now be up to the young core of Tigresses led by Det Pepito and Reg Jurado to bring the crown back to España.
"From last season kasi, kapag kinompare mo 'yung mga players last season, parang nandun na lahat — sina Ate Milena (Alessandrini), Ate Eya, Ate Imee (Hernandez). Feeling ko 'yung time na 'yun, sobrang strong na namin [kaya] parang sayang last season. This season, mas gutom kami kasi nga sayang last season. So ngayon po mas motivated kami, lalo na kaming mga bata," Pepito said.
A new era in Morayta
UAAP's winningest school in volleyball has been unable to add to its record haul of 30 women's volleyball championships for the last 16 years.
With a feisty attacking addition in 6-foot Congolese opposite spiker Faida Bakanke, who has already led Far Eastern University to two preseason podium finishes in the Shakey's Super League and V-League in just three months, the sky's the limit for the Lady Tamaraws under new head coach Manolo Refugia.
"If ever may nagtatanong kung ano 'yung bago sa'min this season, 'yung bago is 'yung addition ni Faida (Bakanke) talaga. Sobrang laki nu'ng pagbabago, hindi lang sa skills tsaka inside the court, pati 'yung mentality and emotions," said FEU setter Tin Ubaldo.
“Lahat ng binaon namin [na lessons and experiences] from Thailand, gagamitin naman namin siya this coming UAAP (Season 86) kaya feeling ko ready kami,” she added.
"Siyempre sa mga napagdaananan namin, na-experience namin nu'ng offseason, tapos 'yung paghahanda namin going dito sa UAAP, so ramdam naman namin na ready kami," said Refugia.
Katipunan's fresh start
After a dismal four-win campaign in Season 85, a new-look Ateneo side will be looking to restore lost glory through its young core of fresh talents.
Now in their post-Oliver Almadro era as Philippine men's national team head coach Sergio Veloso takes over the reins, the Blue Eagles look to take flight through the promising leadership of Roma Doromal in their first season without ace spikers Faith Nisperos and Vanie Gandler.
"'Yung pressure nandu'n, pero wala eh, wala kaming magagawa but i-embrace na lang 'yung pressure na 'yun and with coach (Sergio Veloso), hini-help niya naman kami skill-by-skill and then chine-change niya rin 'yung mentality namin sa game na kailangang i-enjoy namin kasi doon namin mas mailalabas 'yung laro namin. Since puro bata lahat, yung sisterhood namin, mas solid ngayon and mas nagkakaintindihan kami," Doromal said.
"Always nga naming sinasabi na hindi siya smooth-sailing, especially new coach and new system, pero nandun naman kami. Open kami and very willing kami na mag-improve so lahat ng tinuturo niya talaga, ina-accept lahat namin 'yun," she added.
Red Warriors rising
A massive turnaround could be on the horizon for cellar-dwelling University of the East under new leadership in champion coach Jerry Yee and with the high-profile additions of multi-awarded California Academy aces Casiey Dongallo, Kizzie Madriaga, Gracen Fernandez, and the injured Jelai Gajero.
But such as the case in squad rebuilds, Dongallo knows that the Lady Red Warriors have a mountain to climb. But she continues to have faith in the process.
"Since yung UE is parang more bago, yung program, yung system pati yung coaching staff ay bago, we’re just hoping that we just want to be a new era. Kung ano man yung place nila last year, we just want to improve on that," Dongallo said.
"Being a leader, hindi na po bago sa akin kasi since nung California Academy pa lang, nagli-lead na kami. Dito sa UE, knowing na yung ibang players ay veterans pa rin naman, wala naman silang binibigay sa amin na negative attitude na di ka pwedeng mag-lead kasi bata ka at kami yung matanda. Binibigyan nila kami ng opportunity na magsalita at mag-lead para rin maangat yung team," she added.
Nowhere to go but UP
Change has come for the University of the Philippines as multi-titled tactician Oliver Almadro crosses over to the maroon side of Katipunan to oversee both volleyball programs and concurrently call the shots for the women's team.
After having his fair share of highs and lows in recent years, Almadro knows all too well how such a task of lifting the Fighting Maroons back to winning ways will be a tedious process that requires utmost patience and commitment.
“I tell the girls, every year, they have a different story, and we have to change the story. And to be able to do that, we have to change the culture. It will be starting all over again. And to change the culture, you have to change the daily habits," said Almadro.
"Sabi ko nga, we’ll just put the Laban UP, the Laban UP mantra. We know naman nila na UP, yung word nila, matapang, matalino. Sabi ko yun lang panghawakan natin, laban UP, every day, every single day, every single game, no matter what the result is [...] Tiyagain lang natin.
"We may not be winners yet this year but hopefully the culture that we want to change soon, sana bumalik ang Laban UP culture, 'yung culture na talagang ipaglalaban ang UP up to the very end," he added.
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