NU coach Sherwin Meneses braces for showdown against La Salle’s top UAAP coach Ramil de Jesus

DIFFERENT league, same mission.

Multi-titled professional mentor Sherwin Meneses eyes to weave no less than the same magic in the collegiate scene after towing reigning champion National University (NU) to yet another finals appearance in the UAAP.

That, however, will not be a walk in the park given an entirely different arena compared to the professional volleyball scene.

Mr. Meneses, appointed only late last year in lieu of Norman Miguel to take the reins in the powerhouse NU program, didn’t disappoint by leading the school to a top-seed finish with a 12-2 slate.

The NU Lady Bulldogs then stamped championship pedigree by pulling a reverse sweep on the Far Eastern University in the Final Four, 20-25, 22-25, 25-23, 25-14, 17-15, to make its first finals under Mr. Meneses but fourth straight since a 16-0 sweep of Season 84.

It only gets tougher from here, especially with a different win-or-go-home landscape once a year, warned Mr. Meneses, who’s won seven titles with Creamline in the Philippine Volleyball League (PVL), with three conferences, including a Grand Slam last season.

Then there’s the factor of schedule conflict with the student-athletes juggling the time of training, playing and studying all in the same season.

Mr. Meneses has won it all in the PVL and while the UAAP poses a stark difference from his kingdom, the pressure and the challenge remain the same — especially in his first collegiate finals.

Standing in the way of Mr. Meneses is the one and only Ramil de Jesus of De La Salle University, considered as the greatest women’s volleyball mentor in UAAP history with 12 titles 21 finals appearances in almost a 30-year career.

Whether Mr. Meneses could translate his pro coaching prowess to a different jungle ruled over by Mr. De Jesus will be clearer starting on Sunday in Game 1 of the best-of-three finals. — John Bryan Ulanday