NATIONAL University (NU) repulsed a young but feisty University of Santo Tomas (UST), 25-23, 23-25, 25-21, 25-17, to reach the finals of the Shakey’s Super League Collegiate Pre-season Championship at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Friday.
The Lady Bulldogs faced stiff resistance throughout the match but exploited their advantage in experience and veteran smarts to subdue the Tigresses and remain unbeaten in seven matches.
The reigning University Athletic Association of the Philippines champions set up a winner-take-all title showdown on November 19 against the winner between De La Salle University and Adamson University in the other semifinal that was played late Friday.
NU, which squandered a four-point lead late in the second set, regained control of the match after outlasting the Tigresses in the tight third frame.
The Lady Bulldogs opened a comfortable cushion in the fourth frame that ballooned to 22-16. Back-to-back errors by UST put NU at match point before Bella Belen sealed the victory with a crosscourt hit.
“I just reminded the team to work harder, that we can’t afford to give UST momentum and their young players to gain confidence,” said NU coach Karl Dimaculangan, whose squad went up 21-17 in the second set but allowed UST to mount a comeback to tie the match.
“I think it’s also a big advantage that we have experienced players that know what to do in tight situations,” he added.
Belen led the Lady Bulldogs with 24 points, Alyssa Solomon added 19 markers while Ces Robles and Eri Pangilinan chipped in 15 each. Sheena Toring got 12 points for NU.
The Tigresses, who saw rookies Xyza Gula and Angeli Abellana drop 21 and 20 points, respectively, can still salvage a podium finish next week against the loser in the other semis pairing.
University of the Philippines (UP) outlasted Far Eastern University in grueling five sets, 26-24, 28-26, 27-29, 22-25, 15-8, to move on to the battle for fifth in the classification round.
The Fighting Maroons flirted with disaster after squandering a two-set lead before pulling through midway in the fifth frame to walk away with the victory in the match that lasted two hours and 52 minutes.
UP opened a 12-7 separation in the deciding frame after skipper Jewel Encarnacion scored a block kill against Chenie Tagaod. After Tagaod answered with a kill in the next play, the Fighting Maroons uncorked three straight points to finish the game.
Nina Ytang led four other UP players in double figures with 18 points including eight of the Fighting Maroons’ 14 kill blocks.
Joan Monares and Stephanie Bustrillo had 17 markers each while Encarnacion and Dannica Celis added 13 and 10 points, respectively, for UP, which will face the winner between Ateneo de Manila and University of Perpetual Help in the other classification game late Friday.
The Lady Tamaraws absorbed their fifth straight defeat.
Jean Asis scored 16 points to pace FEU. Mitzi Panangin and Jovelyn Fernandez had 14 each, Barbie Jamili added 12 while Tagaod had 11.