On Sunday night, National University (NU) defeated La Salle with impressive scores of 22-25, 25-23, 25-16, and 25-22. The Lady Bulldogs’ triumph put a stop to a run of setbacks that stretched back to the previous season and put them in a strong position to finish in the top two in the UAAP women’s volleyball championship in Season 86.
“We were focused on beating them today,” National U player Bella Belen said in Filipino following the well-deserved victory at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, which was witnessed by over 11,000 excited spectators. “We knew it wouldn’t be easy, so we had to give it everything we had.
She went on, “La Salle is a championship-caliber team.” “They wanted to win, too, but we demonstrated a stronger desire.”
In their most recent classification round game, the Bulldogs defeated Adamson and fourth semifinalist Far Eastern University, raising their record to 10-2, matching with idle Santo Tomas for the lead.
Santo Tomas and La Salle will play each other at the conclusion of the elimination round. The matchup between the Golden Tigresses and the Lady Spikers may decide which side advances to the second round with a twice-to-beat advantage if the Bulldogs win their next two games.
La Salle will play the Lady Falcons and fierce rival Ateneo before taking on Santo Tomas, while the Tigresses’ final elimination round matchup is against the University of the East. After defeating the University of the East 25-17, 23-25, 25-23, and 25-16 in their most recent encounter, the Blue Eagles will enter that match with confidence.
The Bulldogs managed to win their first game against the Lady Spikers in six meetings, but they failed to see the wider picture of the Final Four. After the game, Vange Alinsug, who scored 22 points on 20 assaults, showed her excitement.
As National U maintained its winning streak in the second round, Alinsug said in Filipino, “I’m thrilled because we really wanted this victory.” “It was evident that everyone was focused on winning.”
Belen put up a strong showing overall, scoring 14 points on attacks and grabbing 14 great rebounds. Alyssa Solomon strengthened the team’s position with 13 points from 12 attacks along with a block.
Angel Canino’s absence from the Lady Spikers’ game was the first in three that he had missed because of an ailment that was not made public. Shevana Laput scored 21 points, while graduating middle blocker Thea Gagate contributed 12 points and the majority of the team’s six blocks. Despite this, La Salle persevered valiantly.
