UP begins reset of Final 4 approach with rematch vs NU
The University of the Philippines enters the second round of the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament with its game plan—and its expectations—completely overhauled.
A promising start to the tournament quickly turned turbulent as the Maroons dropped three straight matches to finish with a 3-4 (win-loss) record.
And that’s not even the bad part.
State U also lost star Casiey Dongallo for the rest of the season after the talented hitter suffered ACL and meniscus tears in a loss to Far Eastern University in their first-round meeting.
“Casiey’s a big loss, but the girls understand they need to do more now to compensate,” UP coach Fabio Menta said after Dongallo’s injury. “The girls are okay. They’re working and hopefully we find the right adjustments. We are preparing hard to do our best.”
UP still has enough in its arsenal to make adjustments in its bid to end a Final Four drought. Niña Ytang will likely shoulder a bulk of the responsibilities of filling the scoring void Dongallo’s absence created.
Even then, the UP team that will challenge National U at 3 p.m. at Smart Arneta Coliseum is clearly not the same UP squad that stunned the defending champions in the first round.
And the Lady Bulldogs are expected to chomp down hard on that advantage.
La Salle dealt National U a 21-25, 19-25, 25-19, 17-25 defeat last Sunday, creating serious doubts on the Lady Bulldogs’ ability to defend their crown in the post-Bella Belen era.
And NU would want nothing more than to score an emphatic victory that would resurrect its status as a favorite for the crown.
Dongallo has been taking her injury in stride, with Menta saying she has, surprisingly, been “in a great mood” after being ruled out for the season.
“I’m surprised she never felt the desperation,” Menta said. “She came to the next game, she comes to our training, still smiling.”
