National University (NU) isn’t leaving anything to chance as it looks to close out De La Salle University and clinch the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 women’s volleyball crown today at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Game 2 of the best-of-three series fires off at 5 p.m., with the Lady Bulldogs eyeing their first back-to-back championship in school history.
“Every time after a game, I always remind them that closing out a series is the hardest part,” NU head coach Sherwin Meneses said.
“Even in the second set of Game 1, I told them that we need to push ourselves and stay focused. What’s most important is to stay composed — if they take a set, we recover. Volleyball is always about recovery. Hopefully, we learn from that experience.”
NU, which holds a flawless 3-0 record over La Salle this season, showed dominance in Game 1 with a four-set victory, yielding only the third set to the defending champions.
This match could also mark the end of an era as Season 86 Most Valuable Player (MVP) Bella Belen and scoring machine Alyssa Solomon play their final UAAP games. They’re looking to pass the torch to rising star Vange Alinsug, who exploded for a career-high 21 points in the series opener.
Alinsug, expected to lead NU next season, is already showing glimpses of a new Bulldogs era.
Much will also depend on how the Lady Spikers respond.
Rookie setter Mikole Reyes and substitute Jules Tolentino struggled against NU playmaker Lams Lamina’s precision, and La Salle will need better execution in today’s must-win match.
Angel Canino and Shevana Laput are tipped to carry the scoring load once again, but they’ll need more support from Amie Provido and Lilay del Castillo, especially in attacking from the middle.
Meanwhile, Far Eastern University seeks to break a 13-year championship drought in the men’s division when it faces five-time reigning champion NU in Game 2 at 1 p.m.