NU guts Ateneo in UAAP 87 volleyball

MANILA, Philippines — National University continued its strong start in the UAAP Season 87 volleyball tournament after both the men’s and women’s teams manhandled their Ateneo Blue Eagle counterparts Wednesday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

The Bulldogs fended off a gritty Blue Eagles team, 23-25, 26-24, 27-25, 29-27 earlier in the day, while the Lady Bulldogs made quick work of the women’s side, 25-23, 25-19, 25-15. 

Alyssa Solomon stood tall for the Lady Bulldogs, finishing with 12 points built on 10 attacks, a block and a service ace. Vange Alinsug added 10 points, while Bella Belen had nine against the depleted Ateneo women’s squad. 

After a close win in the first set, NU found their rhythm in the second set, leading by nine, 20-11.

But Ateneo sliced the lead to five, 16-21, after a Lyann de Guzman attack. 

A Zey Pacia error gave the Lady Bulldogs a point, 22-16, but Chuatico took it back with a kill. 

After a Cha Maaya block, an error by Alexa Mata and an off-speed attack by de Guzman made it a four-point deficit for Ateneo, 19-23. 

But a service error by Chuatico, as well as a hit by Solomon, gave NU a 2-0 lead. 

Come the third set, the Lady Bulldogs were leading by two, 11-9. 

But a furious 7-2 run capped by a quick by Sheena Toring made it a 19-11 advantage for the Sampaloc-based team. 

Chuatico halted the run temporarily, but an Alinsug hit and an error by the Blue Eagles pushed their lead to nine, 21-12. 

An Alexia Montoro attack and an error by Celine Marsh put Ateneo back to within seven, 14-21, but a 4-1 run to end the game capped by a Marsh kill solidified NU’s three-set win. 

“Sobrang happy ako. Talagang total team effort yung nangyari today sa game. Hopefully, mag-improve pa yung team effort ng NU sa mga next game namin,” NU head coach Sherwun Meneses said. 

Erin Pangilinan scored six points, while Lams Lamina tallied 14 excellent sets. 

AC Miner, de Guzman and Montoro finished with nine points apiece for the Blue Eagles, who lost both Zel Tsunashima and JLo delos Santos to injury for the rest of the season. 

Tsunashima sustained a broken left shin, while delos Santos tore her left ACL. 

In the men’s side, the Bulldogs asserted their authority over Ateneo, winning their 10th straight game against the Blue Eagles.

Ateneo took the first set before NU tied things up with a narrow 26-24 win. 

The Katipunan-based squad looked primed to grabbing the third set, going up 24-20. But the Bulldogs stormed back and unleashed a 7-1 run as Obed Mukaba, Jan Abanilla and Peng Taguibolos teamed up. 

And in the fourth set, Ateneo was ahead anew, 14-11, before a massive 7-1 surge by NU pushed them ahead, 18-15. 

The two groups were kept in a hard-fought battle, but a Leo Ordiales down-the-line hit and an attack error by Kennedy Batas ultimately iced the game for the Bulldogs.

“Thankful ako sa naging performance namin kahit ganito. Sa akin kasi, yung ginawa ng Ateneo sa amin, talagang trinabaho nila kung ano naging game plan nila,” head coach Dante Alinsunurin said.

“Kami talaga yung pinipilit makuha rhythm namin, buti na lang nung latter sets, nakuha na namin. Importante lang is kung ano nagiging challenges ngayon, kailangan natin matuto,” he added.

Ordiales carried the load for NU with 14 points, while Taguibolos had 13. 

Batas powered Ateneo with 21 points, while Jian Salarzon and Brian Castro had 12 each. 

Both NU teams are now holding 2-0 records thus far this season. They will take on the Far Eastern University on Sunday, February 23, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Meanwhile, both Ateneo squads are still winless through two games. They will try to tally their first wins against the University of the Philippines also on Sunday.