Alyssa Solomon and the NU Girl Bulldogs within the UAAP Season 86 girls’s volleyball match. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.web

Nationwide College’s (NU) string of inauspicious matchups didn’t knock its sights off its final goal within the UAAP Season 86 girls’s volleyball match.

And with the Girl Bulldogs slowly getting their machine buzzing, they wish to hold it that approach.

“I feel they’re getting the motivation from the earlier troublesome matches,” coach Norman Miguel mentioned in Filipino after a fast 25-17, 25-20, 25-20 ripping of Adamson on Wednesday at Good Araneta Coliseum.

“They actually had the drive, character and delight [this time out],” Miguel added.

NU was rudely welcomed into the brand new season by College of Santo Tomas (UST) in its opening recreation, 25-19, 25-23, 25-22, earlier than hardly getting previous by what many thought can be a lopsided conflict in opposition to Ateneo within the subsequent.

The Girl Bulldogs wanted all of 5 units to eliminate the Blue Eagles, 25-17, 24-26, 26-28, 25-19, 15-7.

“What occurred to us within the final two video games—we misplaced to UST within the first recreation. Second recreation, despite the fact that we gained in opposition to Ateneo however nonetheless, it was a five-setter recreation,” Miguel added. “It appeared like we lacked delight in that recreation.”

With the win, the Girl Bulldogs not solely recharged their confidence but in addition discovered hope of a a lot better efficiency as they close to the center of the primary spherical.

Alyssa Solomon was an enormous a part of that growth after delivering 17 factors on 14 assaults, two blocks and an ace, whereas Season 84 Rookie of the 12 months-Most Beneficial Participant Bella Belen displayed her offense, including 15 factors—all from assaults.

Ateneo triumphs

Vange Alinsug helped NU with 12 factors that features two blocks and 6 glorious digs.

Within the second recreation, Ateneo accomplished a come-from-behind win over College of the Philippines, 22-25, 20-25, 25-22, 25-17, 15-9. The Blue Eagles prolonged their dominance over the Preventing Maroons to eight video games, dropping their Katipunan Ave. neighbors to a 14th straight loss courting again to Season 85.

NU is aware of that it may use these few earlier hiccups as final season’s runner-up works its approach again to a well-known perch.

“Slowly, slowly, sure. We are able to see ourselves rising. We’re a lot better off seeing ourselves rise within the few video games of the primary spherical,” Miguel mentioned. “As a substitute of peaking early then all of the sudden flopping.

“In order that’s what we’re taking good care of.”

“We all the time remind [our players] to organize mentally, not solely through the recreation, but in addition in trainings,” he mentioned. “We all the time return to our purpose for this season. We all the time return to that so we’re reminded throughout trainings, if we’re not giving one hundred percent, after they keep in mind our goal, our purpose, we will modify rapidly.”