NU scores twin kill over UST

MANILA, Philippines — In front of 20,955 witnesses, the Bulldogs got on the loose and went for the double ambush on the Tigers’ lair – with little to no resistance – to draw first blood in their virtual tag team duel for the UAAP volleyball supremacy.

The National U spikers mauled Santo Tomas squads with sweeping victories for 1-0 leads in the rare UAAP Season 86 men’s and women’s volleyball finals featuring the same casts yesterday at the jampacked Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

The Bulldogs feasted on the Golden Spikers with a 25-17, 26-24, 25-19 win in their finale rematch while the Lady Bulldogs pounced on the crippled Golden Tigresses, who took the toll of Angge Poyos’ ankle injury in the second set, for a 25-23, 25-20, 25-20 runaway triumph in the best-of-three showdowns.

Another win in Game 2 on Wednesday would complete their respective championship dreams – a four-peat for the Bulldogs and a redemption for the Lady Bulldogs eyeing their second title in the last three seasons.

Alyssa Solomon finally rediscovered her fiery form in the big stage with 17 points on 14 hits and three blocks while former MVP Bella Belen, who’s also this year’s top candidate, fired all of her 13 points on attacks.

Vange Alinsug and Sheena Toring contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively, for the NU crew, which banked on experience in their third straight finals appearance compared to the young Santo Tomas unit in its first finale stint in five years.

“’Yun ang naging pep /talk namin sa dugout. Hindi na iba sa kanila ‘yung umabot dito sa finals. They know how it feels. Alam nila kung anong kailangan gawin,” said coach Norman Miguel.

True to form, NU sprinted to a 6-0 start to set the tempo and shake Santo Tomas off from its all-time high confidence after dethroning La Salle in the semis.

And without their top hitter Poyos (7), who tweaked her right ankle after accidentally stepping on teammate Mary Banagua’s foot in the second set, the Golden Tigresses were never the same even with the steady numbers of Jonna Perdido (17) and Regina Jurado (10).

It was the same story for the Bulldogs, who shackled reigning MVP Joshua Ybañes and ace spiker Gboy de Vega behind the troika of Buds Buddin (16), Nico Almendras (16) and Leo Aringo (15).