As the UAAP Men’s Volleyball season picks up steam, the NU Bulldogs clinched their second victory against the FEU Tamaraws, 25-17, 25-23, 18-25, 25-13 at the San Juan Arena.
Carrying the momentum after an eight-point first set win, NU started the second set with a strong 8-1 burst led by Peter Torres and captain Rueben Inaudito. The Tamaraws clawed their way back and even took the lead at 16-15 due to successive errors by the defending UAAP champions. The Tamaraws adjusted with tougher floor defense late in the set but combination plays worked wonders for the Bulldogs as NU won the tight set up by two.
Down by two sets, FEU started out the third with multiple attacks to rush to a 7-3 start. Blocking worked well for NU as they managed to trim the deficit to a point, 15-14. The Tamaraws ended the third set on a 10-4 run to extend the match.
Losing their first set of the season, the Bulldogs responded with a quick start in the fourth canto anchored once again by Torres, who sat out the entire third set. The net defense put up by NU proved to be a barrier as the Tamaraws were limited offensively.
Inaudito led the Bulldogs with 14 points, 13 of which came from attacks. Torres added 11 markers and led all players in blocks with 4. Greg Dolor and Jeric Gacutan paced FEU with 16 and 11 respectively.
Up next for NU are the DLSU Green Spikers on Saturday, 10am at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. As for the FEU Tamaraws, they will go up against the UE Red Warriors, 10am on Sunday at the San Juan Arena.
The scores:
NU- Inaudito 14, Ismail 12, Torres 11, Tolentino 10, Baysac 5, Bagunas 5, Mangulabnan 4, Malabunga 2, Capal 1, Danandante 0, Saura 0, Paglinawan 0, Dizon(L) 0, Libero(L) 0
FEU- Dolor 16, Gacutan 11, Paler 8, Barrica 7, Miranda 4, Margate 2, Cayaban 2, Refugia 1, Villegas 1, Solis 0, Marmento 0, Camcam 0, Beliran(L) 0, Marmeto(L) 0
