For eight games, National University was an unsolvable puzzle.
The Lady Bulldogs tore through the competition, their dominance unquestioned, their streak unbroken.
But on Wednesday afternoon at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan, University of the Philippines finally cracked the code.
In a stunning five-set thriller, the Fighting Maroons brought NU’s unbeaten run to a screeching halt, pulling off a hard-fought 24-26, 25-23, 25-17, 23-25, 12-15 upset behind Niña Ytang’s career-best 30-point explosion.
The victory not only ended the Lady Bulldogs’ immaculate start to UAAP Season 87 but also snapped UP’s seven-year, nine-game losing streak against the defending champions — a drought that stretched back to Season 81 in 2019.
The last time NU suffered a defeat at the hands of UP was on April 4, 2018, during the second round of Season 80.
This time, the Lady Bulldogs found themselves on the wrong end of history once again, caught off guard by the Fighting Maroons.
For NU, MVP frontrunner Bella Belen admitted that a combination of shortcomings contributed to their first defeat of the season.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“I think sa team namin, may mas maganda pa dapat na ginawa. Meron sigurong pagkukulang sa part namin, and at the same time, nasabayan ng magandang laro ng UP. Napag-usapan naman na namin kung ano dapat yung maging adjustments sa game na ito,” said Belen, who delivered 21 points on 16 attacks and five blocks, along with 13 excellent digs and 12 excellent receptions.
“Siyempre, masakit and nakakalungkot kasi napag-usapan namin na hindi dapat kami natatalo nang ganito at ng basta-basta. Dapat nilaban pa namin kasi feeling ko kaya namin ‘eh, kaya namin manalo.”
Aside from their sluggish performance, marred by crucial errors, Belen acknowledged that the weight of carrying an eight-game winning streak may have contributed to the pressure they felt heading into the match against a surging UP squad.
Despite the sting of defeat, the two-time UAAP MVP chose to focus on the silver lining — releasing the burden of maintaining an undefeated record.
“Siguro, may kaunting pressure na wala pa kaming talo. Siguro, medyo may konting pressure. Blessing in disguise na lang din para mawala yung pressure sa amin. Sabi nga ni Coach Sherwin kanina, dapat wala sa amin yung pressure. Dapat hindi namin iniisip masyado yung ganon,” Belen explained.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Looking ahead, she hopes that this setback will not shake NU’s confidence as they gear up for their final five elimination round matches. Their next challenge comes against a tough Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws squad on Sunday, March 30, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Beyond simply rebounding from their first loss of the season, Belen also recalled how NU narrowly avoided a defeat against FEU in another grueling five-setter last February 23.
“Hangga’t hindi pa tapos yung game at kaya pa namin ipanalo, dapat yung confidence namin sa sarili namin at sa team namin, hindi mawawala. Kahit na nag-e-error, kasi siguro hindi mawawala ‘yon — na mag-e-error — kasi syempre gusto mo makapuntos for your team,” she remarked.
“Mas magiging masipag kami sa training. I always believe na sa training magsisimula lahat. Kung ano ginagawa mo sa training, ‘yon din yung magagawa mo sa laro. Kung kalat ka sa training, for sure ganoon ka rin sa laro. Siguro ngayon na natalo kami, ang magiging mindset ng bawat isa sa amin is paano kami babangon sa pagkatalo namin.”
#WATCH: “TULONG-TULONG SILA!” ❤️💚
Coach Benson Bocboc credits UP’s team effort, highlighting Nina Ytang, Joan Monares, and the rest of the Fighting Maroons for their big win over NU! 🏐
📹 @ernesttuazon/ Tiebreaker Times#UAAPSeason87 pic.twitter.com/r7JRbQIpVW
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 26, 2025
