MANILA, Philippines –  It is not new to the National University community when Lady Bulldogs fans would comment: “Nako, eto na naman yung dati” (Oh no, this is the past again.) 

In Season 76 under former head coach Roger Gorayeb, the Lady Bulldogs finished the first round tied at first place with the reigning champions De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers, but failed to make it to finals as the Alyssa Valdez-led Ateneo Lady Eagles ended DLSU’s campaign for the 3-peat championship. 

With Babes Castillo taking the reins of NU in Season 80, the Lady Bulldogs ended the first round with a 6-1 record, sealing a solo first place finish heading into the second elimination round. 

However, the Lady Bulldogs are struggling to repeat their season start. 

NU has lost 3 straight games in the second round and were even swept by volleyball giants DLSU and Ateneo in its first two games. On Wednesday, March 21, the Lady Bulldogs fell to the Adamson Lady Falcons  who were riding on the momentum of ending their two-game losing streak in Sunday’s revenge game against University of the East. 

The Lady Bulldogs have only won one set in their first 3 second round games which came in the 3rd set in Wednesday’s game that saw NU close it out with a 6-1 run. 

According to Castillo, he noticed that the “ghost of the past” was haunting the Lady Bulldogs in this second round. 

“Kanina nakikita ko talaga yung ghost of the past na they [Lady Bulldogs] base their happiness sa panalo lang,” said Castillo. 

(A while ago, I was really seeing the ghost of the past that they [Lady Bulldogs] based their happiness on winning results.)

With this in mind, Castillo aims to give the Lady Bulldogs a different perspective to prevent them from falling into their collapse for the rest of Season 80, but the decision to choose that path remains up to them. 

“Pag di mo alam ang kasaysayan, wala kang saysay so somehow, their past is haunting them. Nahihirapan sila tanggalin yun. All I’m trying to do is to try to give them a different perspective. Dadating yung time pipiliin nila yan. I hope soon ano, I hope soon,” explained Castillo. 

(If you don’t know the history, you don’t have the history so somehow, their past is haunting them. They’re having a hard time taking that off. All I’m trying to do is to try to give them a different perspective. The time will come that they will choose that. I hope soon.)

This season also marks NU stalwart Jaja Santiago’s 5th and final year in the UAAP and the Lady Bulldogs were at the prime position to clinch the title based on their first round performance. 

From Sanitago’s 13-point outing in the second round opener against DLSU to her 16 points against Ateneo and to her 21 points against Adamson, Castillo will be talking to NU’s captain so that they will both show the others “how to win and how to lose”. 

“I will show her na pakita natin sa mga teammates natin na this is how you win, that is how you lose. Together, together, together. Yun yung kailangan nilang makita,” said Castillo.

(I will show her that we should show our teammates that this is how you win, that is how you lose. Together, together, together. That’s what they need to see.) 

Castillo remains positive that the Lady Bulldogs can bounce back from this skid because they have had a good run before. The champions skills are there to show the UAAP fans that they can move on from only making 5 aces and 39 errors in Wednesday’s game. 

“You’ve seen these ladies move like champions diba? Nakita niyo yun, nakita nating lahat yun. It’s there, they did it. Yan ang maganda sa volleyball walang tsamba. Once you did it, you can do it again,” said Castillo.

(You’ve seen these ladies move like champions right? You guys saw that, we all saw that. It’s there, they did it. That’s what’s nice about volleyball that there is no luck. Once you did it, you can do it again.)

The Lady Bulldogs have a chance of redemption in their next game against the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses on Sunday, March 25, at the Araneta Coliseum.  – Rappler.com