By Ardyn Gonzales
For three consecutive seasons, the National University Lady Bulldogs will enter the championship match after fending off the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws, 25-12, 27-25, 25-15, in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball do-or-die semis match, Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
After losing their twice-to-beat advantage via their loss to FEU in Game 1, it was NU’s turn to have their version of a sweep victory, displaying their championship form in the rubber match.
The Lady Bulldogs’ heart and soul and MVP frontrunner Bella Belen carried the team with 19 points on 16 attacks and five service aces, nine points of which she scored in the first set alone.
Sheena Toring put up a block party on her birthday, finishing with six blocks for her season-high 13 markers.
After dominating the first set, NU struggled again in the second frame and faced a seven-point deficit, 7-13. However, they slowly inched closer, 15-16, but the Lady Tamaraws once again pulled away with a 23-20 advantage.
Until Belen, Toring, and Alyssa Solomon came alive down the stretch and banked on their championship experience to steal the set at 27-25. They never looked back and finished the third set quickly – with no unforced errors at all.
The Lady Bulldogs completely turned things around in Game 2 as no FEU player finished in double digits this match. Chen Tagaod only had eight, with Faida Bakanke and Gerz Petallo adding seven and eight, respectively.
NU will now have a chance to reclaim the crown they lost last Season 85, but this time with a different opponent, against the UST Golden Tigresses.
Featured image courtesy of UAAP
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