National University’s Princess Robles, right, shares a hug with her teammate Erin Pangilinan during Game 2 of the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball Finals. UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Despite ending her UAAP career with a Finals loss, outgoing team captain Princess Robles is confident that the National University holdovers will bounce back and reclaim the crown next season.
Robles was still proud of their run after getting swept by La Salle in the Finals with a 25-19, 25-23, 15-25, 17-25, 10-15 meltdown in Game 2 of the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.
“It was still a good fight. My teammates didn’t give up until the end. They fought hard,” said the graduating spiker in Filipino after scoring four points in Game 2, coming off the bench.
The Lady Bulldogs may have failed to retain the title it earned in Season 84 that ended a 65-year dry spell but Robles knows that this setback will only make Bella Belen and Co. stronger.
“We fell short but it was a big learning for Bella and our teammates next year. They will bounce back,” she said.
Robles, who was last year’s Finals MVP, only scored a total of five points in the Finals series as she came off the bench in most of their games with rookie Vange Alinsug taking the starting role.
Although they missed the chance for a golden repeat, Robles as well as fellow seniors Jennifer Nierva and Joyme Cagande were fulfilled that they brought NU twice to the Finals including a perfect 16-0 campaign last year.
“This is still a big achievement and will go down to the history books of the UAAP because from a team that didn’t reach the Final Four in Season 81 to becoming a champion when we returned from the long hiatus,” Robles said. “We still made it to the Finals (this season). It’s still a good exit for us, three. We’re proud to say that we came from NU.”
Robles will go home to her family first before plotting the next step of her career. The skipper believes that they were able to pass on their resiliency to the holdovers, led by Belen and Alyssa Solomon, before bidding farewell.
“Lami nila Joyme simula high school, yung puso na palaban talaga. Yung di pa natatapos yung laban, kailangan todo kami 100%. Siguro yun yung maiiwan namin sa kanila. Ngayon pa lang nakikita na namin,” she said.