In a whirlwind 24-hour span, Sherwin Meneses experienced the full range of emotions — coaching Creamline to a heartbreaking defeat in the PVL one night and leading National University to a dominant victory in his UAAP head coaching debut the next.
On Saturday night, Meneses was on the sidelines in Antipolo, where the Creamline Cool Smashers' storied 19-game winning streak — stretching across three conferences and six months — came to a sudden end at the hands of PLDT. Despite a valiant comeback from a 0-2 deficit to force a fifth set, the Cool Smashers were unable to seal the deal, falling 28-30, 21-25, 25-23, 25-18, 14-16 to the determined High Speed Hitters, led by Savannah Davison.
The defeat shattered Creamline's hopes of sweeping the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference preliminaries, but Meneses maintained his composure, reflecting on the game with a sense of pragmatism. “Siyempre kagabi, medyo... Actually, hindi naman sobrang pangit ng game namin. Talagang doon sa fifth set, may mga lapses lang,” he admitted.
The very next day, Meneses was back in the thick of things, this time donning the NU Lady Bulldogs' head coach cap for his long-awaited return to the UAAP. The stage was the SM Mall of Asia Arena, where Meneses quickly transitioned from the disappointment of the night before to the pressure of coaching his new team in the UAAP Season 87 Women's Volleyball Tournament.
Despite the quick turnaround, Meneses was unfazed. For him, the game — regardless of the platform — remains the same. “Yung about sa pag-focus naman sa game na 'to, siyempre medyo same lang naman kasi volleyball pa rin naman yan eh. Kaso siyempre, iba lang yung players na iga-guide mo,” said Meneses, who last coached in the UAAP eight years ago.
The seasoned coach wasted no time in making an impact in the collegiate scene, guiding NU to a dominant 25-23, 25-21, 25-18 sweep of De La Salle University. It was a redemption win for Meneses after the tough loss with Creamline, though he noted that he never let the defeat linger.
“Okay naman, kahit natalo kami kagabi, nakabawi ako ngayon so medyo naka-recover ng konti. Pero yung talo kahapon, hindi naman namin dinamdam masyado,” he shared.
The victory felt especially sweet for Meneses, who had his eyes set on defeating one of the UAAP's most storied programs in La Salle. "Siyempre La Salle yung makakalaban namin. Second, happy talaga ako kasi siyempre three straight sets kang nanalo, and siyempre yung mga players talagang nagre-respond kapag kinakausap mo,” he said.
For Meneses, the real satisfaction came from seeing his players perform with grit and determination. “Masaya, masaya ako sa first game ko sa pagbalik ko sa UAAP. Yung mga veteran players namin, talagang nagtrabaho ngayon. Gustong-gusto talaga nilang manalo.”
