Erin Pangilinan and the NU Lady Bulldogs in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Despite getting interest from pro teams, the National University Lady Bulldogs core opted to stay for one more year and run it back in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament next year.
Middle blocker Erin Pangilinan shared that she and her batchmates led by two-time MVP Bella Belen, Season 86 Finals MVP Alyssa Solomon, Sheena Toring, and Lams Lamina decided to stay despite the chance of throwing their names to the PVL Rookie Draft.
“It’s already instilled in us that you’re making history every day with NU,” said Pangilinan in the Shakey’s Super League National Invitational press conference on Tuesday.
Pangilinan, one of NU’s leaders, added their batch wants to achieve more for the school after winning their second title in three UAAP seasons by a Finals series sweep of the University of Santo Tomas last May.
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“We already started this. NU was unknown before. We weren’t visible And now, we stand out in every way,” she said. “We love to keep seeing NU that way and we will work hard for it. As a team, we’ll try to do that together.”
Belen already posted that after their successful redemption tour, she wants to accomplish a back-to-back championship run with the Lady Bulldogs next year.
NU, led by Rookie MVP Belen, won its first UAAP women’s volleyball title in 65 years by sweeping 16 games in Season 84 two years ago.
The Lady Bulldogs’ title-retention bid last year was denied by La Salle, anchored by another Rookie MVP Angel Canino, in the Season 85 Finals. The setback is fueling NU to come back stronger and reclaim the title.
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With an intact roster, Pangilinan hopes the Lady Bulldogs continue to reach greater heights with Belen, Solomon, and Arah Panique now also part of the Alas Pilipinas program.
In the SSL National Invitationals, Belen and Panique won’t be able to complete the tournament due to their training camp in Japan in the coming days, while Solomon sat out to recover from her injury.
For Pangilinan, it’s a chance for the newcomers and other holdovers to step up and lead NU to its first National Invitationals title after sweeping the past two SSL preseason tournaments in the past two years.