MANILA, Philippines — National University coach Sherwin Meneses had a taste of nostalgia on Wednesday when he faced his alma mater Adamson for the first time since parting ways with the Lady Falcons in 2016.

Meneses steered the undefeated Lady Bulldogs to a 25-21, 25-23, 25-18 sweep over the Lady Falcons in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament but he also couldn’t keep himself from praising the young Adamson side led by talented rookie Shaina Nitura.

“Actually, it’s been a while since I handled Adamson, but of course, facing my alma mater feels different. I’m also happy because it’s my alma mater that we’re up against,” said Meneses in Filipino. “There are times when it makes you reflect, but that’s how it is. I guess it’s not the same as when I was with Adamson—now, the players are really highly recruited. I hope their batch is successful and that their careers at Adamson go well.”

READ: With relaxed mindset, UST excited to face NU in rematch

NU coach Sherwin Meneses after beating his alma mater Adamson.

Vange Alinsug also talks about their sixth straight win. #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/7hGWqBnanM

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) March 12, 2025

Interestingly, Meneses also faced a former Creamline coaching staff JP Yude, now the Adamson coach. The two worked together under Tai Bundit in the PVL 2021 bubble.

“We’re really good friends with JP because we’ve always been close. He just has to be patient with Adamson, and of course, really focus on what he’s doing, his career. He’s really patient and kind. I hope he’s successful in coaching at Adamson,” he said.

Alyssa Solomon continued to sizzle for NU with 22 points off 15 kills, four blocks, and three aces. Vange Alinsug backstopped the KOVO Asian Quota Draft aspirant with 12 points, while Bella Belen had nine points and 12 digs to inch a win closer to a first-round sweep.

The Lady Bulldogs held Nitura to a season-low 13 points on a 9-of-49 attacking clip as the Lady Falcons slid to a 2-4 record with a third straight loss. Frances Mordi also scored 13 in the loss.

READ: UAAP: NU overwhelms skidding UP in women’s volleyball

“We definitely focus on her key areas. But really, we keep an eye on all players from Adamson, depending on where they’re attacking. It’s about knowing the situation and where the opponent is going to strike. We did well in stopping at the net, so the result was good for us,” Meneses said.

Meneses and the Lady Bulldogs are set for a finals rematch with surging University of Santo Tomas, which is riding on a five-game winning streak, on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We’ll focus on the basics because we’ve been making too many mistakes lately. Tomorrow, we’ll get back to training. The preparation time for UST is great because we have almost three to four days to prepare,” he said.