Defending champion National University overcame a third-set stumble to secure a 25-12, 25-15, 15-25, 25-22 victory over the University of the Philippines, earning its second straight win in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Tournament on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
After dropping the third set, the Bulldogs regained their composure in the fourth, breaking an 18-all deadlock with a crucial 4-0 run. Then came a well-placed offspeed hit from Leo Ordiales, followed by two costly attack errors by Nigerian spiker Olayemi Raheem.
A service ace from Leo Aringo then propelled NU to a 22-18 advantage.
UP attempted a late rally, capitalizing on an Aringo attack error and a Tommy Castrodes off-the-block hit to close the gap to 22-20. However, Ordiales delivered another off-speed shot, followed by a service error from Clarence Santiago.
A quick attack from Choi Diao sealed NU’s hard-fought victory in one hour and 27 minutes.
“Yung naging problema talaga namin nung third set is yung mga unforced errors namin, and kung kailan kami nakakuha ng momentum, nawawala sa amin,” said NU head coach Dante Alinsunurin.
He went on, “Nung fourth set, minindset lang namin na meron dapat kami ginagawa na may kasiguraduhan, hindi pwedeng magdoubt sa sarili.”
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Despite dominating the first two sets, NU struggled in the third, falling behind 5-12 — a deficit too wide to recover from. Consecutive points from Castrodes and an Aringo attack error denied the Bulldogs a sweep.
Earlier in the match, NU built a commanding 2-0 set lead, with an ace by Dan Nicolas and back-to-back Castrodes hits trimming UP’s deficit from 10 to six at 21-15. A net touch violation and three consecutive blocks by Ordiales and Aringo eventually closed out the second set in NU’s favor.
Following a tough loss to the still-undefeated FEU Tamaraws on February 23, NU has regained its rhythm with back-to-back wins. The team has improved to a 4-1 record, tying the University of Santo Tomas for second place.
UST, as of writing, will face Ateneo de Manila University later today at 11:00 AM.
The victory also reaffirmed NU’s dominance over UP, marking their 12th consecutive win against the Fighting Maroons, dating back to a second-round triumph in Season 78 on March 20, 2016.
“Hanggang sa sabi ko na anytime na may situation na mahirap, balik tayo sa simula tapos magenjoy tayo sa ginagawa natin. Tsaka every time na may magandang ginagawa, i-celebrate natin kasi kahit papaano, nakakadagdag ng kumpyansa sa bawat isa ‘yon,” Alinsunurin added.
Buds Buddin led the Bulldogs with 22 points, tallying 17 attacks, three aces — all in the dominant first set — and two blocks. He also contributed six excellent receptions and one dig.
Aringo followed with 16 points, built on 12 attacks, two blocks, and two aces, along with 10 excellent receptions and two excellent digs.
Ordiales also made a significant impact, scoring 14 points on nine attacks and five blocks while recording three excellent digs.
Peng Taguibolos added nine points from five attacks and four blocks, while Congolese middle blocker Obed Mukaba chipped in eight points from four attacks, three blocks, and one ace.
Setter Greg Ancheta dished out 18 excellent sets, while starting libero Jimwell Gapultos anchored the floor defense with nine excellent digs and six excellent receptions.
NU will next face Adamson University in its penultimate first-round match on Wednesday, March 12, at the SM MOA Arena.
After opening the season with a hard-fought five-set win over the Red Warriors, UP has now suffered five straight losses, dropping to a 1-5 record and seventh place in the standings.
Raheem led UP with 16 points on 15 attacks and one block while contributing two excellent digs. Castrodes added 13 points from 12 attacks and one block, along with seven excellent receptions and three excellent digs.
UP aims to bounce back against Adamson on Sunday, March 16, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
