Defending champion National University booked the second Final Four ticket in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Women’s Volleyball Tournament after a dominant sweep of the also-ran University of the East, 25-19, 25-14, 25-14, on Sunday afternoon at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.
Now riding a three-game winning streak, the Lady Bulldogs secured a postseason berth for the fifth consecutive season since Season 84 (2022), a span that has already produced three championships and one runner-up finish.
With the victory, NU solidified solo second place with a 9-3 win-loss record. It remains in position to play spoiler against De La Salle University, which is chasing an elimination-round sweep and an outright Finals berth.
The two teams are set to clash on Sunday, April 19, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Lady Bulldogs also maintained a two-game cushion over joint third placers Adamson Lady Falcons and UST Golden Tigresses, who both hold identical 7-5 records with two games left in the preliminaries.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Siyempre, we’re very grateful [and] thankful na we are here. Pinaghihirapan talaga namin lahat ng games. Hindi talaga sobrang dali ng lahat,” NU head coach Regine Diego said.
“Siyempre, yung hard work always pays off. Hopefully, it does not end just in the top four; hopefully, we get to be up there. We want that twice-to-beat advantage, and we want to play in the championship games.”
The Lady Bulldogs brushed off a slow start in the third set, where the Lady Warriors briefly took an 11-9 advantage. Behind Sam Cantada, Vange Alinsug, Arah Panique, and Alexa Mata, NU responded with a 9-0 run to pull away and put UE in a 18-11 hole.
From there, NU stayed firmly in control. Two Panique points, a Keshia Famulagan attack error, then a game-winning block from Chamy Maaya on Sam Taylan sealed the Lady Bulldogs’ sweep in just 84 minutes.
NU raced to an early 13-4 lead in the second set and never looked back, with a Taylan net touch, a Lams Lamina block on Khy Cepada, and a Cantada crosscourt hit building a commanding two-set advantage.
“For me, happy ako kasi nakuha na namin yung Final Four, pero hindi pa ‘yon yung goal namin. I think na pagttrabahuan pa talaga namin. Alam ko rin naman, especially yung teammates ko, na hindi pa kami tapos sa goal namin mismo,” Alinsug said, who finished with 11 points on 10 attacks and one ace on top of 11 excellent receptions and three excellent digs.
Cantada scored 11 points, built on six attacks, four aces, and one block, along with five excellent digs and two excellent receptions. Panique also finished with 11 points on five attacks, four aces, and two blocks, plus five excellent digs.
Mata supplied eight points on four attacks and four blocks, while Maaya chipped in six points on three attacks and three blocks.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Meanwhile, UE remained winless through 12 matches, extending their dry spell to 26 consecutive games since a winless Season 87 campaign.
Team captain Van Bangayan led the Lady Warriors in the losing effort with seven points on five attacks, one block, and one ace, along with nine excellent digs. Taylan added six points, two excellent digs, and two excellent receptions.
Cepada contributed five points, seven excellent digs, and five excellent receptions, while Famulagan had four points.
UE shoots for a breakthrough win when it faces La Salle this Wednesday, April 15, at the same UST venue.
