FEW coaches can hold a candle to Sherwin Meneses, who calls the shots for National University in the UAAP and Creamline in the Philippine Volleyball League.
Last week, the decorated mentor steered the Lady Bulldogs to their first back-to-back UAAP titles and the school’s fifth overall UAAP championship.
The title win was the 42-year-old tactician’s first championship as a head coach in the UAAP, in addition to his seven PVL titles with the Cool Smashers.
“Sa akin naman, every training, every game, talagang iyon iyong trabaho namin so nandito lang naman kami para mag-guide sa mga players. Wala naman sa amin kung anong masasabi nila basta kapag binigyan ako ng trabaho iyon lang naman – every day na mapuntahan natin iyong team na hinahawakan natin so iyon naman ‘yung pinaka-importante,” Meneses said.
The Lady Bulldogs, led by three-time Most Valuable Player Bella Belen, co-Finals MVP Vange Alinsug and Shaira Jardio, outgoing opposite hitter Alyssa Solomon and middle blocker Erin Pangilinan, swept the finals against De La Salle University, scoring a 25-19, 25-18, 25-19 win in Game 2 last week.
Meneses, who failed to win a title with Adamson University when he handled the squad from 2012 to 2016, expressed the hope that the Sampaloc-based team could keep up with the rigorous recruitment race these days, which is said is vital to continue NU’s winning culture.
“Ibang-iba iyong mga players ngayon, talagang recruitment palang talagang kailangan ka na mag-focus. Iyon iyong labanan ngayon. So hopefully, ngayong may players ang NU, mag-succeed sa mga susunod na taon,” he said.
“Before kasi talagang napakahirap, lalo na pagka school ang pinag-uusapan. Sobrang iba na ngayon. So let’s see kung ano iyong mga mangyayari pa sa mga susunod na mga taon.”
With the departure of Belen, Solomon, Pangilinan and Sheena Toring, Meneses will rely on Alinsug, Jardio, Arah Panique, Abe Pono and other mainstays to sustain their championship run.
