The NU Lady Bulldogs are Finals-bound for a third consecutive season after a much needed bounce back versus the FEU Lady Tamaraws.
The NU Lady Bulldogs ensured they would not be on the wrong side of history as they exacted revenge over the FEU Lady Tamaraws, 25-13, 27-26, 25-15, in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball Final Four at the Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.
Despite needing two games this year, the Lady Bulldogs will now appear in the UAAP volleyball Finals for the third-straight season, and will face the UST Golden Tigresses en route to a potential second UAAP volleyball crown.
Bella Belen took charge for the NU Lady Bulldogs, notching 21 points including five service aces. The former rookie MVP also tallied 14 excellent digs, and five excellent receptions in a clear show of her two-way prowess.
Birthday girl Sheena Toring added 13 markers built on six blocks, five kills, and two service aces, while team captain Erin Pangilinan and Aly Solomon added nine apiece. Like Toring, Pangilinan also chipped in two service aces.
While they breezed through the first and third sets, the NU Lady Bulldogs needed to dig deep in the second set. After back-and-forth runs from them and the Lady Tams, the set’s endgame saw a dogfight, wherein NU had to overcome a three-point deficit, 20-23.
Fortunately, Belen proceeded to spark a set-clinching 7-2 run for NU, which was boosted by crucial errors from Tagaod and Asis in crunch time.
With a set score of 27-25, this proved to be the last time FEU got close to the NU Lady Bulldogs, as the Jhocson-based volleybelles shut them out completely in the game’s closing set.
“Happy kami na nakabawi kami sa FEU and ‘yun nga, sa Finals na kami. Pero hindi kami titigil porke’t pasok na kami sa Finals kasi hindi pa naman tapos ‘yung goal namin [championship] and hindi pa namin siya nakukuha,” said Belen in the post-game press conference.
“So ‘yun nga, masaya kami ngayon, pero balik kami sa training bukas kasi for sure ‘yung kalaban namin [UST] nagpeprepare pero siyempre, ‘yung preparation namin mas lalo pa namin sisipagan para pagdating ng Finals talagang ready kami.”
No player scored double digits for the Lady Tams, with Chen Tagaod scoring a team-high nine points. Gerzel Petallo notched eight markers, while Faida Bakanke and Jean Asis added seven points each.
Despite the loss, Season 86 still marks FEU’s return to the UAAP volleyball Final Four, their first since UAAP Season 81 in 2019. Like the Season 81 squad, this year’s Lady Tams were also a game away from becoming the first UAAP women’s volleyball fourth seed to enter the championship rounds.
For the NU Lady Bulldogs, Game 1 of the UAAP women’s volleyball finals starts this Saturday where they will attempt to draw first blood against the UST Golden Tigresses.
Banner Image courtesy of the UAAP Season 86 Media Team.
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