By: Justine Anne Gaerlan
NATIONAL University-Nazareth School got back on track in its title retention bid after handing the University of the Philippines Integrated School a 25-7, 25-6, 25-4 rout in the UAAP Season 86 High School Girls’ Volleyball Tournament at the Adamson University Gym on Saturday.
Coming off a five-set, 25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 14-25, 15-11 loss to FEU-Diliman, the defending champions vented their ire on the Fighting Maroons.
They started strong for all three sets, never trailing in the match.
NUNS jumped out to a 9-1 start in the third frame and eventually widened the gap to 21, limiting the Fighting Maroons to only four points throughout the entire set.
Leading the way for the Lady Bullpups were last season’s Second Best Outside Spiker, Celine Marsh, and Nathalie Tizon, who closed out the match with a kill and sealed the win for NUNS.
“Isang malaking boost siguro sa amin kasi from a five-setter loss, and then now nakakuha kami ng momentum for our next game na UST. So kailangan namin ang win para makapag-prepare din kami for our next games,” said NUNS assistant coach Karl Dimaculangan.
“So very happy naman kasi nakapaglaro din lahat… so sana magtuloy-tuloy lang yung naging game namin.”
UPIS dropped to 0-2 after also bowing to Ateneo High, 24-26, 25-19, 25-20, 26-24, a week ago.
Meanwhile, UST outlasted UPIS in straight sets, 25-17, 25-13, 25-15, to notch its first win in the UAAP Season 85 High School Boys’ Volleyball Tournament.
The Junior Golden Spikers lost to the NUNS Bullpups, 25-23, 21-25, 25-21, 25-20, also last Sunday.
After winning the first two sets, the Junior Golden Spikers began the third set close until they went on a 4-0 run to extend the deficit to eight.
An attack from Ace Quemada and back-to-back hits from Ron Poja eventually gave the Junior Golden Spikers a 10-point lead that the Fighting Maroons could not overcome.
After UPIS saved a match point due to a net error from UST, Alwyne Junio came up with a kill to secure them the victory.
UPIS fell to 1-1.
Reigning boys’ high school champion FEU-Diliman, who was defeated by UE on opening day, 25-20, 25-22, 29-27, also earned their first win of the season after defeating Adamson in straight sets, 25-18, 25-20, 25-19.
The Baby Tamaraws shrugged off a slow start in the third set after the Baby Falcons took an early lead, 5-3.
FEU-D then tied the game at 6 after a three-point run.
Both teams then traded points until the Baby Tamaraws were able to pull away to take a 22-19 lead.
FEU-D then went on to score four consecutive points with a kill block from VG Molina clinching the win for the Baby Tamaraws.
Both teams are now knotted at 1-1.
