By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
After eight hard-fought games in the 2022 UAAP Season 84 women’s volleyball tournament, the National University Lady Bulldogs are yet to taste defeat.
Going up against the tall lineup of their rivals, the De La Salle University Lady Spikers, the Lady Bulldogs displayed their consistent attack and court defense to earn their eighth-straight win with a sweep, 25-21, 25-20, 25-17.
The Lady Spikers already lost at the hands of NU during their first-round elimination clash where they got decimated in straight sets, 25-22, 25-15, 25-19.
Eager to have a different result, DLSU came out firing with their tremendous 1-2 offensive sets and led early in the first set to clinch the much-needed momentum.
As DLSU began to feel comfortable with their executions, NU’s superstar spiker Mhicaela Belen halted the Lady Spikers’ momentum and regrouped her squad to avoid a 0-1 hole.
The same story came in the second set as DLSU’s Fifi Sharma erupted offensively and was a key factor in their tallied blocks in the middle area but the duo of Belen and Cess Robles sparked another late NU surge.
After two tightly-contested sets, the Lady Bulldogs finally had a strong start and flipped the switch in the third set and never looked back.
Robles was unstoppable in the third and finished the game with 17 points while Belen backstopped her teammate with 14 points, 10 excellent digs, and six excellent receptions.
“Inexpect namin na lalaban din yung kalaban naming. Tulad nung sinabi ko nung first round, hindi kami puwedeng maging kampante kahit na na-sweep namin yung first round,” said NU head coach Karl Dimaculangan.
The Lady Bulldogs will look to sustain their flawless display of volleyball and will put their winning streak on the line against Ateneo de Manila University today.
