Lady Bulldogs vent ire on Lady Warriors, near semis bonus

Games on Saturday

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

9 a.m. – UE vs UST (men)

11 a.m. – AdU vs FEU (men)

1 p.m. – UE vs UST (women)

3 p.m. – AdU vs FEU (women)

MANILA, Philippines — Final Four-bound National University poured its wrath on the hapless University of the East, 25-8, 25-22, 25-12, to zero in on a twice-to-beat incentive in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball Wednesday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.

The Lady Bulldogs needed only 72 minutes to dispatch the winless Lady Warriors, avenge their stunning defeat to Adamson and move to 10-2 entering the homestretch of the two-round eliminations.

Still on top of the eight-team league with two games to spare, NU could clinch one of the two win-once semis bonuses with a win against the lowly Ateneo squad on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Reigning Most Valuable Player Bella Belen set the pace with 16 points on 14 hits and two aces laced by 13 digs and eight receptions, delivering on her promise to push her squad back to fine form after losing twice in their last three games, including a four-set stunner at the hands of Adamson.

Vange Alinsug and Aishat Bello contributed nine points each while Erin Pangilinan and Celine Marsh added seven each in NU’s scattered play to make it more than enough for Alyssa Solomon’s absence for the second straight game due to a left ankle sprain.

“I’m happy that we’re able to bounce back after that stinging loss against Adamson. I just reminded the team to sustain our high performance even against the lower-ranked squads. We should never relax,” said Belen, a top contender to win her third MVP plum in NU’s title retention bid.

Save for a closer second set with only a three-point margin, it was all NU in the lopsided duel with double-digit leads in the other two frames highlighted by a staggering 17-point gap in the opener.

No player finished in double figures for the Lady Warriors, who remained winless in 12 matches, as the usual protagonists KC Cepada, Nessa Bangayan and Riza Nogales settled for six points each.

In the men’s game, top-ranked FEU (11-1) sealed a win-once bonus after fending off Ateneo (6-6), 25-21, 19-25, 25-23, 25-23, while four-peat champion NU (10-2) clinched a Final Four ticket with a 25-21, 25-17, 25-16 win over also-ran UE (0-12).

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