NU extends streak to five with UP triumph

c/o UAAP Media Team

Games on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena

9 a.m. - NU vs Adamson (Men)
11 a.m. - Ateneo vs La Salle (Men)
1 p.m. - NU vs Adamson (Women)
3 p.m. - Ateneo vs La Salle (Women)

National University secured its fifth straight win at the expense of University of the Philippines, 25-13, 25-23, 25-22, to stay unscathed in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay on Sunday.

The Lady Bulldogs now hold a spotless 5-0 record atop the eight-team field. They will next face the Adamson Lady Falcons on Wednesday at the same venue before last season’s Finals rematch against the UST Golden Tigresses to cap the first round.

“Happy naman syempre nakuha namin yung panalo pero syempre yung situation nung second and third [set] magkaiba kasi. Nakarekober din kami doon sa run ng UP. Pero, knowing NU naman mga seniors na sila so alam na rin naman nila yung gagawin nila,” said NU head coach Sherwin Meneses.

(“Of course, we're happy that we got the win, but the situations in the second and third sets were different. We were able to recover from UP’s run. But knowing NU, most of them are already seniors, so they knew what to do.")

In the second and third frames, the Lady Bulldogs needed to deny the Fighting Maroons’ fightback attempts.

Down 20-23, UP’s Bienne Bansil and Kassy Doering launched three straight points to inch within one only for Bansil to serve strong straight outside for the 25-23 escape of NU in the second.

Then in the third period, the Lady Bulldogs saw their 22-16 edge dissipate with Kianne Olango, Joan Monares, and Doering leading the Fighting Maroons’ comeback to level at 22.

But Alyssa Solomon, Celine Marsh, and Erin Pangilinan racked up three straight points on a crosscourt kill, down-the-line hit, and a block, respectively for the NU win in 94 minutes.

“Lagi ko lang naman sinasabi sa mga pinapasok ni Coach Sherwin, lalo na sa mga bata na ilaro lang nila kung ano yung laro nila. Kasi minsan, masyado silang maraming iniisip. Siguro nga, dahil pressured or dahil dikit yung laban kanina. Then yun lang, sinabi ko lang na kailangan lang nila ienjoy kasi binigyan sila ng opportunity to play,” said Belen, who had 17 points and seven receptions.

("I always tell the players that Coach Sherwin sends in, especially the younger ones, to just play their game. Sometimes, they overthink things—maybe because of the pressure or because the match was really close. I just reminded them to enjoy the game because they were given the opportunity to play.")

Solomon, who declared for the 2025 Korean V-League (KOVO) Draft, added 16 points on 13-of-28 attacks and three blocks, while Vange Alinsug made 11 points and six digs.

The Fighting Maroons, on the other hand, saw their slump stretched to four games, dropping to 2-4 at seventh.

Doering, an American middle blocker, top-scored for UP with 11 points on eight spikes and three blocks while Olango, who came from NU Nazareth School, contributed 10 points.

They missed Niña Ytang for the second straight game as she is still feeling under the weather.

UP will finish its first round schedule next Sunday against Adamson at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.