She’s got next: Vange Alinsug shows glimpse of post-Bella Belen stardom for NU

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As NU star spikers Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon near the end of their illustrious UAAP careers, Vange Alinsug displays what's in store for the Lady Bulldogs with her on the scoring helm

MANILA, Philippines – Since UAAP women’s volleyball returned from a pandemic-induced hiatus in Season 84 back in 2022, generational talent Bella Belen has taken the collegiate world by storm with her consistent, all-around, championship-caliber prowess for the NU Lady Bulldogs.

Over the last four years, Belen and fellow star spiker Alyssa Solomon have been the interchangeable primary options of a resurgent NU volleyball program that now eyes three women’s titles in four years after having none in the six decades prior to 2022.

Steadily rising in the pair’s shadows, however, is Vange Alinsug, another proud product of the rock-solid Nazareth high school program, and is now on her third year of UAAP action.

With Belen and Solomon very likely set to leave for greener pastures at Season 87’s conclusion, Alinsug wasted no time giving a glimpse of NU’s immediate future with her on the offensive helm, powering down a team-high 21 points as the Lady Bulldogs trounced rival La Salle in Game 1 of the best-of-three finals.

“I’m happy that we got this Game 1. We have to keep going because our six straight days of training paid off today, and we have two more days to train before Game 2,” Alinsug said in Filipino.

“This is not the first time for me, so we just have to keep playing our game the way we know how. It all starts in training and I’m happy that we got to show the effects of it in Game 1.”

Though NU is expected to take a step back talent-wise the moment Belen and Solomon take their talents elsewhere, the Lady Bulldogs at the very least can stay competitive under the leadership of Alinsug, already fifth in the MVP ladder after the first round of eliminations above Solomon.

“Of course, I’m very proud of Vange because I can see how she works on her craft every training,” Solomon added in Filipino. “As I always say, competition starts in training. If you give your 100% in training it will manifest in training. So yes, I’m very proud of Vange.”

Should she keep up her torrid pace of play, Alinsug can very much achieve the improbable with her first career Finals MVP award should NU win it all down the line, starting with a golden sweep opportunity in Game 2 on Wednesday, May 14, at the Mall of Asia Arena. – Rappler.com