MANILA, Philippines – National University proved once again that they are the kings of UAAP men’s volleyball tournament after weathering the storm Ateneo de Manila University brought at the Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.
The now back-to-back champions Bulldogs finished the Blue Eagles in four competitive sets, 25-22, 21-25 25-23, 27-25, in the Game Two of their finals, behind the steady performance of Finals MVP Reuben Inaudito.
The cold-blooded Inaudito put his squad in the championship point, 26-25, after a mid-hit combination kill perfectly set-up by setter Vincent Mangulabnan.
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NU copped its second title after a regretful error by Ateneo to end the heated match that lasted two hours and five minutes in front of more than 10, 000 spectators.
Last year’s finals MVP Peter Torres scored 13 markers, including 10 kills and three blocks, while Jan Paglinawan, Ruben Baysac and Inaudito added, 15, 14, and 11 points, respectively.
The Bulldogs crawled back from a four-point deficit in the final set before exploding for an 11-2 run, capped by two straight points from sophomore Baysac, to grab the driver’s seat, 23-18.
NU lost three championship points due to their own error, 24-24, but Inaudito remained calmed and rescued his squad to avoid an upset.
Rookie of the Year and MVP Marck Espejo poured in 20 markers, 16 coming from attacks, three aces and a block, but lacked help from his teammates as they failed to claim the crown in their first ever finals appearance.
The Bulldogs took Game One of the best-of-three series with a straight set victory, 29-27, 25-22, 25-22.