NATIONAL University (NU) willed its way back against two-time defending champion De La Salle and scored a thriller of a five-set win, 26-24, 19-25, 22-25, 25-17, 16-14, to remain as the only unbeaten team in Season 80 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball action in front of a jampacked Sunday crowd at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
The Lady Bulldogs from two sets down and fought back from an 8-12 fifth set deficit with skipper Jaja Santiago and Aiko Urdas providing the crucial blows to surpass their 3-0 start last year with a league-leading 4-0 win-loss record.
“De La Salle really has a strong system. I’m happy my players were able to overcome it. All odds are against odds because of their system and we only have 10 players,” NU Head Coach Babes Castillo said.
Urdas scored NU’s four straight points followed by back-to-back errors from Tin Tiamzon and a block by Rose Doria to tie the decider at 12-apiece.
Kianna Dy stopped the bleeding for De La Salle to make it 13-12 but another miscue by Michelle Cobb and Aduke Ogunsanya allowed NU to tie at 13.
Santiago stepped up when it mattered most and put her team at match point, 14-13 but Desiree Cheng forced a deuce for De La Salle. The 6-foot-5 star put them back to match-point with another unstoppable spike before Urdas nailed the match-clinching service ace.
Santiago finished with a game-high 27 points built on 20 spikes, four blocks and three service aces as NU defeated De La Salle for the first time since Season 78.
Risa Sato chipped in 10 attacks and five blocks for 15 hits with 10 digs, while Urdas and Audrey Paran added 10 points each. Setter Jasmin Nabor made 53 excellent sets.
It was De La Salle’s first loss in four outings 6p fall tosolo second place. Reigning Most Valuable Player Majoy Baron led De La Salle with 14 points, while substitute May Luna and Kianna Dy had 12 and 11 points, respectively.
NU and UST, meanwhile, notched their third win in four outings after beating De La Salle and Adamson University, respectively, in the men’s division.
Bryan Bagunas, James Natividad and Fauzi Ismail combined for 40 points to lead the Bulldogs past the Green Spikers, 27-25, 25-16, 25-20, while Tiger Spikers Arnold Bautista, Joshua Umandal and Jayvee Sumagaysay combined for 38 hits to beat the Falcons, 25-20, 25-21, 14-25, 25-22.
NU and UST are in a triple tie at second place with idle Ateneo de Manila, while Adamson University and De La Salle are tied at 1-3 with University of the Philippines.
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza