Going for the kill
NU zeroes in on SSL crown
Top rookie Sam Cantada joins hands with the NU Lady Bulldogs in their bid to pull the plug on UST’s bid in the 2025 SSL Preseason Unity Cup.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SSL
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NU zeroes in on SSL crown
Top rookie Sam Cantada joins hands with the NU Lady Bulldogs in their bid to pull the plug on UST’s bid in the 2025 SSL Preseason Unity Cup.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SSL
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Games today:
(Rizal Memorial Coliseum)
1 p.m. — FEU vs Adamson
3:30 p.m. — UST vs NU
Defending champion National University (NU) is out to capture a fourth straight crown against a University of Santo Tomas (UST) side looking to force a decider in Game 2 of the 2025 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Preseason Unity Cup best-of-three finals on Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Opening serve is at 3:30 p.m. with another massive crowd tipped to witness the intense action-packed championship showdown of two of the country’s top college women’s volleyball programs in the league’s centerpiece tournament.
Meanwhile, the winner-take-all battle for bronze between Far Eastern University and Adamson University kicks off the double-header playdate at 1 p.m.
The Lady Bulldogs drew first blood last week in a marathon escape over the Tigresses, 15-25, 25-23, 25-17, 13-25, 15-12, to inch closer to a second straight season sweep following their earlier conquest of the SSL National Invitationals Davao Leg.
But it wasn’t a cakewalk for unbeaten NU as it needed to charge back from two points down late in the fifth set — blasting a 5-1 closing rally to notch its ninth win in as many starts.
Lady Bulldogs head coach Regine Diego reminds her wards that the job is far from over and they must not let their guards down against a wounded yet very determined rival.
“UST is doing very well. They’ve been making a lot of points and they are blending well. The fact that we won this game (Game 1,) we’re very happy and we are in a much better position with one won game,” said Diego, who is on the brink following the footsteps of former NU champion mentors Karl Dimaculangan, Norman Miguel and Sherwin Meneses.
“But we cannot be overconfident for the next one. We have to focus again on the process because this is not the end yet. We can’t stop because it’s not yet the end.”
The defiant Tigresses, under returning champion coach Shaq Delos Santos, won’t let the Lady Bulldogs pull off another flawless championship run and lift the intricately designed trophy crafted by renowned Filipino artist Van Tuico.
UST is out to stop NU from pulling off a repeat of their 2023 title showdown.
This time, the Tigresses will go all-out to force a decider.
Game 3, if necessary, is on Wednesday at the same venue.
“I think we have to be mature, handle pressure and focus especially in the endgame. We had the chance to take it but we let it slip away,” Delos Santos said after UST yielded the series opener, snapping its seven-game winning streak.
“This is what I exactly told the players, things that you can’t learn in practice.”
Tigresses stars Angge Poyos, Regina Jurado, Marga Altea, Xyza Gula, playmaker Cassie Carballo and senior libero Detdet Pepito are ready to match the firepower of the Lady Bulldogs’ prized rookie Sam Cantada, Celine Marsh, Chams Maaya, Kaye Bombita, Vange Alinsug, setter Lams Lamina and defense specialist Shaira Jardio.
“I told them that we got to word hard because if we get Game 2, Game 3 is a totally different game,” Delos Santos added.
