Cess Robles. UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Cess Robles said it was uncharacteristic for National University to blow a two-set lead that led to their first five-set game since sweeping 16 games last year but they will learn from this experience, moving forward in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament.
The Lady Bulldogs got their act together in the fifth set to withstand the gritty Adamson Lady Falcons, 25-22, 25-19, 25-27, 25-22, 15-10, and stay unbeaten in two games on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.
“My teammates were rattled so I told them: It’s not us who are playing. This is not our game. We have to get back to what we have been doing [in the past games],” said Robles in Filipino after scoring 13 points, including three aces.
“I know that my teammates are known for being fighters. So we still have to improve a lot of things in practice and in games. As what Alyssa [Solomon] said, we’re happy how we fought but it was a bit frustrating,” she added.
Robles, last year’s Finals MVP, credited the hard-fighting Adamson for pushing them to their limits, believing that their thrilling match will be a good experience for their team.
“[Adamson] was quick to make adjustments earlier. They showed a lot of new things. We were surprised,” she said. “It was a good game and it was a good experience for us.”
NU coach Karl Dimaculangan said this win is an eye-opener for their team and it’s better for them to experience this early in the season.
“We need this. It’s an eye-opener for us. This game tested our patience. We will pick up a lot of things from our second game,” Dimaculangan said in Filipino. “Good thing we were able to experience it this early. This is a good lesson for our team.”
The champion coach, who steered NU to its first crown after 65 years, said they still have a lot to learn ahead of their next games including a showdown with University of Santo Tomas (1-1) on Saturday.
“We still have a lot of things to improve and experience. We’ll try to gain from this game since the season is just starting. We’re preparing for every team, facing UST next. We will be tested again and we’re expecting that it won’t be easy for us,” Dimaculangan said.