National University (NU) head coach Regine Diego is embracing the good problem of having a stacked and talented roster in the Lady Bulldogs’ three-peat bid in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament.

Two games into her first year as NU mentor, Diego has maintained the team’s billing as top dog despite some key departures with an early grasp of the lead.

Navigating a 16-woman roster and keeping each player satisfied without compromising chemistry and good results is quite a challenge.

But Diego has been managing it very well, keeping the team running smoothly.

“We want this to be as ‘panalo ng isa, panalo ng lahat,’” Diego said of NU’s team mentality that brought them victory over University of Santo Tomas and Adamson University.

Diego has been using different combinations in her rotation with some veterans coming off the bench. Some younger players are getting more minutes compared to their seniors, but Diego knows her players understand that playing time depends on game situations. 

“As long as the rotation is effective, I don’t think there’s a reason to change and I know whatever happens, everyone is ready to help team just in case someone is off,” she said.

“So, I know that this team understands what the needs of the team are and I know that all of the players we have in this season will help us out throughout the season.”

Many have also noticed that setter Abegail Pono has taken a big chunk of minutes from graduating Lams Lamina, who played a huge role in NU’s three titles in the last four seasons.

“Well, I’m very lucky to have two very talented players, of course, but I make sure that they get to play according to the needs of the team and what they can give to the team. If one is more effective, then we’ll give her more time. One player at a time,” Diego said.

For Diego, she wants this batch of Lady Bulldogs to be ready from the starters to the last one on the bench, regardless of playing time.   

“This is going to be a very long season. So, there are going to be transitions with players coming in and out of the bench. And we just trust whoever is going in, everybody is going to give their support,” she said.

“We are trying to let them understand that we should clap for others when it is not our time yet. That’s how we are. We try to support each other however we can and give our best when it is our time.”

NU will play Far Eastern University of Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena in a rematch of last season’s Final Four.