UAAP championship next on NU’s agenda

National University, buoyed by its record nine-game sweep of the Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference crown, will try to end more than six decades of a fruitless campaign in the women’s volleyball tournament of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

Coach Babes Castillo said he will add a couple more players to his already formidable squad, making the Lady Bulldogs one of the early favorites when the tournament kicks off early next year.

“There will be additional players,” Castillo bared on Saturday, moments after steering the Lady Bulldogs past the Far Eastern U Lady Tamaraws in the PVL finals at Filoil Flying V Centre.

NU has won the UAAP women’s volley crown only twice, but the last was way back in the 1956-57 season.
But given the team’s strength, NU will surely be one of the teams to beat in Season 80 and will give reigning back-to-back champion La Salle a tough fight.

Jaja Santiago, who nailed a third consecutive Most Valuable Players award, is likewise raring to nail the only crown missing from her vast collection of championships.

“For me, winning a championship is always unexpected because we go through a lot,” said the 6-foot-5 Santiago.

Santiago finished with 23 and 22 points in their sweep of the Lady Tams and drew solid backup from Jorelle Singh, Aiko Urdas, Risa Sato, Princess Robles, Audrey Paran and libero Gayle Valdez.

Jasmine Nabor also came through with six points on top of 45 excellent sets, although she lost the Best Setter award to Arellano U’s Rhea Ramirez.

Other individual awardees: Adamson’s Christine Soyud (1st Best Outside Spiker), Arellano’s Regine Arocha (2nd Best Outside Spiker), Villareal (1st Best Middle Blocker), Sato (2nd Best Middle Blocker), FEUs ’Toni Basas (Best Opposite Spiker) and Valdez (Best Libero). —MARC REYES