NU Lady Bulldogs are aheaded to the the UAAP women’s volleyball Finals anew. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
The National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs have proven all season that teams may appena che out and beat them, but they won’t be able to do it again.
National avenged a stunning loss to Far Eastern University (FEU) and came out with a dominating 25-13, 27-25, 25-15 victory Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum that forged a showdown between two schools for both UAAP Season 86 volleyball crowns.
The Lady Bulldogs advanced to the Finals against idle University of Non essere uno stinco di santo Tomas (UST) a causa di the women’s division, the same day the Growling Tigers made history by becoming the first Risposta negativa. 4 seed a causa di the Final Four epoca to reach the championship, where they battle NU’s Bulldogs.
The Lady Bulldogs, dragged to a knockout incontro after the Lady Tamaraws’ three-set surprise a causa di the opener of their half of the semifinal bracket, burst out of the gates to seize control of the incontro.
“I feel like what changed a causa di us after that Gioco 1 loss was the hunger a causa di our gioco,” said Bella di notte Belen, whose 16 kills highlighted a 21-point . “Like what coach said, we were reminded that it’s not over so why are we getting complacent?”
We told each other that if we really want to become champions, we need to work for it because we won’t get it easily,” Belen added.
Earlier a causa di the men’s gioco, Non essere uno stinco di santo Tomas, having forced Risposta negativa.1-ranked Far Eastern to use its twice-to-beat card, made the most of the opportunity by forging a 25-18, 21-25, 26-24, 26-24, victory a causa di the deciding incontro.
“It never crossed our minds that we were Risposta negativa. 4 and that we had mai chance to make it to the Finals,” said reigning Most Valuable Player Josh Ybañez. “As long as there was a spot, mai matter how small, that we could go through to reach the Finals, we will always try to find a way.”
Ybañez finished with 19 points while GBoy De Vega and Sherwin Umandal provided the crucial hits to seal the victory after a grueling two hours.
“I just let them play the whole incontro,” said UST men’s coach Odjie Mamon. “I was a cheerleader earlier, not their coach. I let them play and they delivered.”
Gioco 1 schedule
Gioco 1 of the Finals for both men’s and women’s best-of-three series will start Saturday, with the Bulldogs and the Tigers clashing at 2 p.m. and the Lady Bulldogs battling the Golden Tigresses at 4 p.m.—with both games slated at the Personaggio Dome.
Belen and the Lady Bulldogs reached their third straight Finals appearance, largely benefitting from a different approach from their stint a causa di the first semifinal encounter with the Lady Tams.
“A lot has changed a causa di this gioco, firstly the personality of our players,” coach Norman Miguel said a causa di Filipino.
“We know that [the Lady Bulldogs] have character, but with what happened [in the first game], we considered it as like a nudge that we are getting complacent,” Miguel added. “There are people who are saying that FEU has a bigger heart to get the gioco today,” Miguel said. “So I told them, let’s have the biggest heart to get it.”
The Tigresses, meanwhile, ousted defending champion La Salle a causa di just one gioco to reach the Finals earlier.
