UAAP: NU coach expects ‘hungrier’ Lady Bulldogs next season

NU Lady Bulldogs’ three-peat bid ends with a runner-up finish to the unbeaten top seed La Salle Lady Spikers in the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball Finals.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Shortly after National University was knocked off its throne in the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball Finals, coach Regine Diego was already thinking about her team’s redemption bid.

Going for a three-peat, NU was denied by rival and undefeated top seed La Salle, which pulled off a perfect 16-0 championship run in Game 2 on Saturday before 22,509 fans at Mall of Asia Arena.

“I know for sure that the girls gave their best. We just have to be better next time,” said Diego in Filipino after the 25-22, 25-16, 25-16 loss.

NU after a silver medal finish. #UAAPSeason88 @inquirersports pic.twitter.com/a1zjyHcGEo

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) May 9, 2026

“Of course, since we’re still a top two team, we’re hopeful that we can get back to the championship again.”

The Lady Bulldogs still booked their fifth straight trip to the finals in their first season without Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon after beating University of Santo Tomas in the stepladder semifinals.

“At the start, we honestly weren’t expecting too much, but we still had to give our best, right? The fact that we made it here shows that we’re still capable and still among the top teams. For sure, we’ll come back hungrier next year,” said Diego.

READ: UAAP: Lams Lamina leaves NU with grateful heart despite setback

Diego hopes this heartbreak will only make NU stronger in its pursuit to regain the title next year, with setter Lams Lamina graduating, while Vange Alinsug and other seniors will still ponder about their next move.

“It wasn’t easy. This team went through a lot of setbacks. The transition wasn’t as smooth as I wanted it to be, but this is the UAAP—it’s not just some random competition. This is where you really discover who you are, and not only the players’ character was tested, but mine as well as a coach. Hopefully, this experience helped me grow both as a coach and as a person. I hope to learn a lot from this and become better next time,” Diego said.

“We also have reinforcements coming from our high school program. That’s really part of NU’s tradition, and hopefully, that will make us even stronger next year. Just like all the other teams, we’ll prepare even better,” she added.