Four-peat-seeking National University showed the true heart of a champion, gutting out a hard-fought 15-25, 25-23, 25-17, 13-25, 15-12 victory over a gritty University of Santo Tomas to take Game 1 of the 2025 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Preseason Unity Cup best-of-three Finals on Saturday night at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Despite being pummeled in the fourth set and trailing by two in the closing stretch of the decider, the Lady Bulldogs displayed poise under pressure, unleashing a decisive 5-0 run to stun the Tigresses in their championship rematch.
Rookie Sam Cantada shone in her return from national team duties, scoring 18 points built on 16 kills and two aces to lead the still-unbeaten NU to its ninth straight win in the tournament backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner, and R&B Milk Tea.
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“Tumatakbo lang po talaga sa isip ko kahit anong mangyari, alam kong may goal kami. Alam naming gusto naming makuha ang game na ito,” said Cantada.
Chams Maaya was a dominant force at the net, delivering eight of NU’s 13 kill blocks. Her final rejection against Angge Poyos sealed the win in the grueling two-hour, 39-minute showdown.
Maaya finished with 14 points, while Kaye Bombita and Vange Alinsug added 11 and nine markers, respectively, for NU.
The team can extend its reign with another victory in Game 2 next Saturday, November 15, at the same venue.
If necessary, a deciding Game 3 is set for November 19.
The Lady Bulldogs bounced back in the second and third sets after surrendering the opener, but the Tigresses roared back in dominant fashion in the fourth to force a decider.
UST gained some breathing room in the tight fifth set, 12-10, off a Regina Jurado kill.
Bombita responded with an off-the-block hit that ignited NU’s finishing surge. The Tigresses were called for a rotational fault on the next play, then Abegail Pono followed with a kill.
Poyos was whistled for an overreach that sent NU to match point before Maaya’s emphatic block sealed the deal.
“I just told them we have to focus on the process and not the result. Kasi every time we do that, we tend to forget a lot of steps, and we’re always in a hurr,y kaya nagkaka-problema kami,” said NU head coach Regine Diego.
“Once we tried to focus everything sa steps — sa pasa muna, isa-isa — then it got better in the end.”
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The Tigresses saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end after a heartbreaking collapse in the first game of their finals return, following their runner-up finish in 2023.
Poyos scored 20 of her 21 points off kills, Jurado chipped in 12, while Marga Altea and Xyza Gula added 11 and 10 markers, respectively, for UST.
Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines came from a set down to defeat Ateneo de Manila University, 23-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-16, and secure a fifth-place finish.
Kianne Olango and Jelai Gajero led the Fighting Maroons’ best tournament finish with 17 and 16 points, respectively.
Ana Hermosura scored 13 points in a losing effort for the Blue Eagles.
In another match, College of Saint Benilde made quick work of San Beda University, 25-10, 25-20, 25-14, to claim seventh place in the competition supported by Asics, Mikasa, Smart Sports, Summit, Team Rebel Sports, Belo Deo, Eurotel–Apo View Hotel, Batangas Country Club, Executive Optical, Baic Auto Philippines, SM Tickets, and PusoP.com as technical partners.
