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UAAP: Nierva proud as NU brings winning habits from high school to college

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="The NU Lady Bulldogs are headed to the UAAP Season 84 Finals. UAAP Media." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/sports/06/10/06102022-uaap_nu-1.jpg"/><figcaption>The NU Lady Bulldogs are headed to the UAAP Season 84 Finals. UAAP Media.</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines -- It has taken some time, but the winning program that National University (NU) built in high school volleyball has finally found its way in the women&#x27;s division.NU has been a dominant force in high school volleyball for nearly a decade now, with their boys&#x27; team winning four of the last five championships and the girls&#x27; team winning five of the last six.Their men&#x27;s team has also experienced great success, with four titles since 2015 including back-to-back championships in Seasons 80 and 81. But the same level of success has eluded their women&#x27;s team, as the Lady Bulldogs struggled to break through despite having the likes of Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Jaja Santiago, and Myla Pablo in their team in recent years.They experienced plenty of heartbreak. In Season 76, the Lady Bulldogs fell victim to the Cinderella-run of Ateneo de Manila University, squandering a twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals. In Season 80, they had a dream start, going 6-1 in the first round, only to fall apart in the second where they won just one more game. Those painful memories are slowly but surely being erased by happier, more successful ones. Season 84 has been a historic one for the NU Lady Bulldogs, who swept the elimination round to advance straight to the finals where they are now waiting for their challengers.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/09/22/uaap-nu-sweeps-ust-to-punch-finals-ticket">READ: NU sweeps UST to punch finals ticket</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/09/22/with-sweep-nu-emulates-head-coachs-feat-13-years-ago">READ: With sweep, NU emulates head coach&#x27;s feat 13 years ago</a></li></ul>&quot;Sobrang masaya talaga,&quot; says libero Jennifer Nierva, a product of the NU high school volleyball program who is now experiencing success at the collegiate level. &quot;Talagang parang nag-pay off din &#x27;yung pinagtrabahuhan namin.&quot;Nierva&#x27;s college career didn&#x27;t immediately mirror her high school one. In Season 81, her rookie year, the Lady Bulldogs won just four matches. They expected to be better in Season 82, but it was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic.Their impressive campaign in Season 84 has made the struggles of the past few years worth it for Nierva, however. The libero is well aware of the keys to their success, too, crediting the young NU players who have made the seamless transition to the senior team.The likes of Michaela Belen, Alyssa Solomon, and Camilla Lamina made their debut for the Lady Bulldogs this year after dominating at the high school level, and it took them no time at all before they were also shining as collegiate players.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="NU libero Jennifer Nierva did not immediately experience success when she moved to the senior team. UAAP Media." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/sports/06/10/06102022-uaap_nu-3.jpg"/><figcaption>NU libero Jennifer Nierva did not immediately experience success when she moved to the senior team. UAAP Media.</figcaption></figure></div>&quot;Sobrang thankful talaga ako sa mga bata, &#x27;yung mga umakyat from high school, for choosing NU talaga,&quot; said Nierva. &quot;Siyempre, madaming offers from other schools, andoon &#x27;yun.&quot;&quot;Pero talagang &#x27;yung loyalty nila and &#x27;yung vision nila for the team, talagang binigay nila &#x27;yung sarili nila, and that&#x27;s something I&#x27;m very grateful for talaga,&quot; she added.&quot;Iba talaga sa feeling makasama sila sa loob. I&#x27;m very proud na teammate ko po sila. Kasi for sure, kung kalaban ko sila, hirap na hirap kami for sure.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/10/22/usts-laure-nu-rookies-shine-at-end-of-uaap-elims">READ: UST&#x27;s Laure, NU rookies shine at end of UAAP elims</a></li></ul>The NU women&#x27;s team now is anchored by standouts from their high school program -- including Sheena Toring, Ivy Lacsina, and team captain Princess Robles -- and Nierva said the chemistry they built during their younger days is only getting better now that they&#x27;re all in college.&quot;Nakita ko &#x27;yung maturity ng mga bata. Kasi very important &#x27;yung napag-daanan din nila noong high school. I&#x27;m proud to say they dominated high school before, bago sila grumaduate. So, nadala nila ng college,&quot; said Nierva.&quot;&#x27;Yung jelling na meron kami, even before high school, hindi nila pinakawalan. Dala-dala nila hanggang ngayon. Masayang-masaya po ako,&quot; she added.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Rookie Michaela Belen (center) has been instrumental to the Lady Bulldogs" success="" in="" Season="" UAAP="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/sports/06/10/06102022-uaap_nu-2.jpg"/><figcaption>Rookie Michaela Belen (center) has been instrumental to the Lady Bulldogs&#x27; success in Season 84. UAAP Media.</figcaption></figure></div>Two wins away from a championship in the seniors -- it would be NU&#x27;s first in the Final 4 era -- and Nierva is proud of the journey that she and the Lady Bulldogs took to get there. &quot;Masaya ako na napagdaanan ko &#x27;yung natalo ako, na hindi kami nananalo, kasi hindi siguro namin maabot kung ano kami, &#x27;yung naabot namin ngayon kung hindi dahil doon sa mga setbacks namin,&quot; she said.&quot;Mas naging matatag, mas naging matibay, mas nag-trabaho kami kasi natutunan ko doon na mas may gusto pa akong marating, not just for myself, but for the team and for the school.&quot;

It has taken some time, but the winning program that NU built in high school volleyball has finally found its way in the women's division.

UAAP: Nierva proud as NU brings winning habits from high school to college

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UAAP: Nierva proud as NU brings winning habits from high school to college

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 10, 2022 07:53 PM PHT

Read More:

volleyball

UAAP

UAAP Season 84

UAAP volleyball

NU Lady Bulldogs

Jennifer Nierva

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