Second-ranked National University showed championship poise, finishing strong with an 11–3 closing run to topple fourth seed University of Santo Tomas, 20–25, 26–24, 26–24, 25–21, and secure a spot in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Women’s Volleyball Finals on Saturday.
Arah Panique and Vange Alinsug delivered the heavy hits in crunch time, powering the Lady Bulldogs’ comeback victories in all three sets they claimed, in front of 14,334 fans at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The back-to-back champions will now gun for a third straight title against the De La Salle Lady Spikers, who swept the 14-game elimination round. NU also swept La Salle in last year’s Finals.
This will be the fourth Finals meeting between the Lady Bulldogs and Lady Spikers in the last five seasons.
Game 1 of the best-of-three Finals is set on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Golden Tigresses, who battled through two do-or-die matches to reach the semifinals, finished third place for the second straight season.
The match also marked the end of Detdet Pepito’s 11-year UST career, closing the chapter on one of the program’s most decorated libero stints with six Best Libero awards—four in high school and two in college.
