AFTER suffering a big upset that broke their unbeaten streak, the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs rebounded with a resounding victory over the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws on Sunday.
Fans at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City witnessed NU’s fresh enthusiasm as they attempted to recover from last Wednesday’s devastating five-set loss to the Final Four-seeking UP Fighting Maroons.
The Lady Bulldogs defeated the Lady Tams 25-22, 24-26, 26-24, 25-18 in a closely contested second round match. They currently have a 9-1 win-loss record, while FEU drops to third place with 6-4.
Escaped A Scare
Camilla Lamina, NU’s setter, played a crucial part in orchestrating a key combination play late in the third set, pulling FEU’s blockers early and setting up an off-the-block hit by Vange Alinsug to bring NU to set point.
Moments later, Bella Belen ended the frame 26-24, giving the Lady Bulldogs a 2-1 lead. Riding the excitement of that close win, they surged ahead in the fourth, with Alyssa Solomon taking over to give them a 19-10 lead.
FEU still tried to mount a comeback, trimming down the deficit to 17-20, but NU stayed composed and held its ground. The Lady Bulldogs finished the match with a 5-1 victory to avoid another five-set encounter.
The Recto-based team fell short of advancing the bout to a final set, as they did in their first-round match, which the Jhocson-based side narrowly won, 25-15, 23-25, 24-26, 26-23, 15-8.
All of this was made possible by Solomon’s outstanding effort, which resulted in a game high of 30 points. Belen followed up with a triple-double of 18 points, 14 digs, and 13 receptions.
Meanwhile, FEU relied on Congolese opposite hitter Faida Bakanke, who finished the game with 21 points, and middle blockers Jean Asis and Jazlyn Ellarina, who scored 16 and 15, respectively.
Lesson Learned
While the loss against the Fighting Maroons shattered their hearts, Solomon stated that the team is still grateful for the loss. Pulling them back to Earth and proving to them that there is still work to do.
“Thankful ako sa nangyari sa UP game namin kasi para sa akin, nakita ko siya as wake-up call na dapat di kami maging complacent talaga kahit number one kami,” Solomon said after the game.
“After ng game na yon, nag-move forward agad kami at trinabaho namin kung ano yung mga dapat trabahuin. And thankful naman kami kasi marami kaming lessons na nakuha sa game na yun,” she added.
The FEU Lady Tams will try to revenge their first-round loss against the UP Fighting Maroons, while the NU Lady Bulldogs will face off against the Adamson Lady Falcons on April 6, 2025.
