By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs scored a much-needed bounce-back victory over rival school De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Archers, 22-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-22, in the ongoing UAAP Season 86 Women’s Volleyball tournament on April 14, 2024, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
After receiving a stinging loss at the hands of DLSU during their first-round matchup several months ago, the Lady Bulldogs entered the clash with a sense of urgency and were eager to get back at the Lady Spikers.
It was then a mission success for NU after they finally broke their five-game losing streak against DLSU to pick up their fifth consecutive victory in their UAAP Season 86 campaign.
Vange Alinsug, NU’s superstar sophomore sensation, led the charge during their huge win after tallying 22 points derived from 20 successful attacks, five excellent digs, and five excellent receptions.
It was Alinsug who helped them pull away in the fourth and final set after scoring three crucial hits in the final 10 possessions of the highly anticipated rematch.
Despite dropping the first set after committing tons of unforced errors, the Lady Bulldogs went back to the drawing board heading into the second frame and were revitalized after pulling off the tightly contested second-set duel.
From that moment, the Lady Bulldogs just stuck to their game plan and remained patient with their offensive executions down the stretch.
Aside from Alinsug, former Rookie Most Valuable Player (MVP) Bella Belen also stepped up for NU as she contributed 14 points, 14 excellent receptions, and seven excellent digs.
On the other hand, the Lady Spikers entered another battle without their superstar Angel Canino who is still nursing an arm injury she suffered two weeks ago.
Stepping in for Canino’s absence was Shevana Laput who top-scored the Lady Spikers with 21 points built from 19 successful attacks while middle blocker Thea Gagate added 12 markers and five blocks.
