MANILA, Philippines – The NU Bulldogs are keeping themselves focused on the bigger goal as they saw their 34-game win streak in the UAAP snapped in their opening game of Season 86 last weekend.
Fresh off of a bounce-back, 25-22, 25-15, 25-17 win over the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Saturday, both star hitter Nico Almendras and head coach Dante Alinsunirin agreed that they have more important things to focus on with their title defense still very much alive.
“Siguro nanghihinayang lang din sa sitwasyon na yun pero yun nga, andoon na, sabi nga na lang namin, meron pa naman tayong another goal which is makuha yung four-peat,” Alinsunurin said on giving up the win streak.
“Magpush na lang natin talaga and kung ano yung pwede nating gawin, or adjustment na gawin, mapagusapan natin,” he added.
After absorbing their first loss in the UAAP since Season 81, Almendras made sure to pull off a make-up performance for his team as he ended up taking Player of the Game honors with 18 points in the win over Ateneo.
Still a long way to go, the wing spiker vows to never get ahead of themselves for the rest of the season.
“Siguro nung first game namin, medyo nagpakampante kami so ngayon, sabi namin, ‘di na tayo pwede matalo ulit kasi syempre, kami yung defending champions,” said Almendras.
“Sabi nga nila coach, ‘di tayo pwede magpahabol, dapat tayo pa rin yung number one.”
Of course, it wasn’t all about mindset as there were still a lot of adjustments made by Alinsunurin and the coaching staff not just for the Ateneo game but for the rest of the season.
“Marami talaga kaming inisip ng mga coaches kung anong nangyari — saan ba kami nagkulang? Sa skills ba o kung sa focus sa mga players namin. Inunti-unti lang namin kung saan kami nagkamali, kung ano yung dapat naming gawin sa laro,” said the statistician.
Alinsunurin’s Bulldogs face their next challenge on Wednesday, February 28, against the Adamson Soaring Falcons at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.