Tay Tung spiker Rhose Almendralejo to beef up NU Lady Bulldogs in UAAP Season 89

NATIONAL University (NU) will bank on a key reinforcement next year to stabilize a sinking ship on the heels of losing its foothold in the UAAP women’s volleyball.

The NU Lady Bulldogs are set to welcome high school sensation and multi-awarded spiker Rhose Almendralejo from Bacolod Tay Tung in Season 89, hoping for it to be enough to regain supremacy in the post-Bella Belen era.

“We’ll have reinforcements and one of those is Rhose (Almendralejo),” said coach Regine Diego, opting to just move forward and plot their comeback after a foiled three-peat bid at the hands of De La Salle University (DLSU).

Ms. Almendralejo is the star spiker of the then reigning champion Bacolod, scooping best scorer, best outside hitter, and best server awards for Western Visayas in the 2025 Palarong Pambansa, where the NU-Nazareth School-backed National Capital Region reclaimed the crown.

Named as MVP was also UAAP MVP Sam Cantada, who transferred from Adamson University to NU en route to a Rookie of the Year citation upon her collegiate jump this Season 88.

And they will be wearing the same jersey next season as Ms. Diego brims with confidence that the Lady Bulldogs will have enough to get back on the mighty DLSU Lady Spikers, who also projected to parade an intact core with fifth-year options for Finals MVP Shevana Laput, Angel Canino, Amie Provido and Lyka De Leon.

“We’re still there and for sure, we will come back hungrier next season,” declared Ms. Diego after a 0-2 sweep in the finale against La Salle that completed a perfect 16-0 season.

Hopes were cloudy for NU this season after losing Ms. Belen, Alyssa Solomon, Sheena Toring and captain Erin Pangilinan, who led the Lady Bulldogs to three titles in four straight finals appearances, to graduation.

It was a rebuilding stage for pundits and yet for Ms. Diego, in her first season after replacing Sherwin Meneses, NU still had a commendable and productive campaign they can build on to the next tour of duty.

Graduating setter Lams Lamina will go pro already while team captain Vange Alinsug has an option to play a fifth and last year as two of the remaining players from NU’s golden era led by Ms. Belen.

There’s no way to go but up once again with Mses. Cantada and Almendralejo set to form a lethal troika with Arah Panique for NU’s revenge tour next season.

“Still, we had silver medal. We’re not expecting a lot but, we wanted to do our best,” vowed Ms. Diego. “The fact that we made it here can only tell us that we can still do it.” — John Bryan Ulanday