Bella Belen —SHAKEY’S PHOTO

Sherwin Meneses has already seen this kind of competitive urge.

The Grand Slam coach of the Premier Volleyball League is just a month into his tenure as the chief tactician of the powerhouse National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs and already, he recognizes something familiar.

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“The attitude of the players is commendable. NU, like Creamline, is very competitive,” Meneses said. “Whether they’re bench players or star players, they all show teamwork and a willingness to work together.”

He doesn’t need to look beyond his captain to validate his statement.

Moments after spearheading NU’s 23-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-20 Game 2 victory that swept La Salle in the finals of the Shakey’s Super League Pre-season Championship Finals, Bella Belen made it known that the Lady Bulldogs are far from satisfied.

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“The match was close, and honestly, I wasn’t fully satisfied with how we played,” Belen said. “Our motivation is to move forward and aim even higher in the coming games, especially for the UAAP. That’s the big league for college volleyball.”

NU also somewhat mirrors Creamline’s club scene success. The Lady Bulldogs won an unprecedented third consecutive SSL preseason title. They ruled the UAAP Season 86 championship last May with a sweep of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in the finals. INQ