Lady Bulldogs banking on new leadership in UAAP title-retention bid

NU’s Vange Alinsug

(UAAP Media Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Welcome to the "NU" age.

With the National University Lady Bulldogs ushering in a new era post-Bella Belen, head coach Regine Diego underscored the importance of leadership for the team.

The three-peat seeking NU squad will now be led by reigning Finals Most Valuable Player Vange Alinsug and reigning best setter Lams Lamina.

Diego, in an interview, stressed the need of leadership for the squad.

“The leadership for this new era is very important for us. It's very crucial because the girls na mga natira were not usually the people who lead the team,” she told reporters.

“So they get to understand that they have to lead with or without the line under their name. They have to know na this is a game that we have to be together all the time. And also they have to learn how to lead because alam naman natin na this is new for them,” she added.

Last season, Belen and Alyssa Solomon were in the forefront of the team’s campaign.

Now, it's time for Alinsug, Lamina, Chams Maaya, Arah Panique and Shaira Jardio to hold the fort for the Lady Bulldogs.

“Crucial yung leadership talaga. And we're trying our best to do this all together here.”

Diego is NU’s third head coach in as many seasons. Norman Miguel won the title in UAAP Season 86, before he was replaced by Sherwin Meneses, who completed the back-to-back conquest.

Despite this, Diego said that she wants the team to “make their own system.”

“I mean, what they think they're good at, what they think works, what they're comfortable with. I try to make it a them system. So it's a hodgepodge of all the things they've learned from the past few years,” she said.

“And hopefully, it works by just reinforcing what they're good at, reinforcing all the best practices they've been with all the coaches. It's hard to put up another system that they have to learn again. So I'm just reinforcing what they know, what they like to do, what they're comfortable with,” she added.

“Para hindi rin sila mabigla na naman na ito na naman yun. Kasi for sure may mahihirapan na naman sila. Binabawasan natin yung discomfort na rin for them.”

The Lady Bulldogs will have an early challenge as they take on the dangerous University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses on Sunday, 3 p.m., at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.