By Ardyn Gonzales
The National University Lady Bulldogs finally scored a win against the De La Salle University Lady Spikers, 23-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-22, in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament, Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The last time NU defeated La Salle was back in Season 84 during the championship series where the Lady Bulldogs swept the Taft-based squad.
Since then, La Salle was able to solve the NU puzzle until their first round match-up this season.
But the five-game losing skid against the defending champions is over as Vange Alinsug, Bella Belen, and Alyssa Solomon teamed up to avenge their losses and made a huge step towards redemption.
Up 2-1 in the match, NU and La Salle fought tooth and nail in the fourth with a series of deadlocks from start up to the last stretch. Tied at 21, Alinsug erupted with back-to-back monster spikes to take a crucial 23-22 lead.
Unfortunately, the Lady Spikers committed two errors – one from attack and another one from a misreception which gave the much-needed win to the Lady Bulldogs.
Alinsug had a breakout performance with 22 points, bannered by 21 attacks and a service ace. Belen and Solomon played the supporting role, finishing with 14 and 13 markers, respectively.
Meanwhile, La Salle played their third straight game without the reigning MVP Angel Canino. Coach Ramil de Jesus surprised everyone as he put Shevana Laput in the outside hitter position where she scored 21 points. The adjustment was not enough as they suffered their second loss this season which affected their chances for the semi-finals twice-to-beat advantage.
This win made the Lady Bulldogs the number one team in the league, tied with UST and is in a good position for the semis bonus.
Featured image courtesy of UAAP
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