Santiago still optimistic as NU stays in Final Four hunt despite free fall

For all the might that National University displayed in the first round of the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament, it seems to have dissipated in the vital second round.

The Lady Bulldogs were all the rage in the first half of the tournament going 6-1 and ending as the top seeds, but the crew in navy-and-gold is now in a downward spiral having lost five straight.

This dangerous free fall has left captain Jaja Santiago bewildered as NU seem to have forgotten how to win.

“It’s regretful that we went from 6-1 and now we are here, and we’ve beaten these teams before,” said Santiago in Filipino Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre. “What did we have in the first round that we don’t have now?”

NU’s last loss was a three-set sweep against University of the Philippines, 25-18, 25-22, 25-20 that saw the Lady Bulldogs fall to 6-6.

Although the Lady Bulldogs have yet to win a game in the second round, they still are in the fourth seed of the standings by virtue of their strong first round, and that’s the scenario that Santiago and the team are clinging on to.

“As long as there’s still hope I won’t worry about falling out of the Final Four race too much,” said Santiago. “I told my teammates that we should let go of all negative thoughts that we may have kept.”

“God is still giving us this chance so we shouldn’t give up because we still have a chance. The fight’s not yet over.”