MANILA — National University asserted its championship credentials and clinched a Final Four berth in the UAAP Season 88 Women’s Volleyball Tournament with a commanding straight-sets victory over winless University of the East, 25-19, 25-14, 25-14, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The Lady Bulldogs not only extended their winning streak to three games but also formalized their entry into the semifinals for the fifth straight season since Season 84 (2022), underscoring a sustained run that includes three championships and one runner-up finish.
With the win, NU improved to 9-3 for solo second place and remained firmly in the hunt for a higher seeding with two elimination games left.
After a brief scare in the third set where UE grabbed an 11-9 advantage, the Lady Bulldogs unleashed a decisive 9-0 blast anchored on the combined efforts of Sam Cantada, Vange Alinsug, Arah Panique, and Alexa Mata to wrest control and pull away for good.
NU completed the sweep in just 84 minutes, punctuated by key attacks from Panique and a closing block from Chamy Maaya that sealed the victory.
Panique, a Negrense standout, finished with 11 points, matching the outputs of Cantada and Alinsug, while Mata added eight points built on four attacks and four blocks. Maaya chipped in six markers.
UE, meanwhile, remained winless in 12 matches and saw its losing skid stretch to 26 games dating back to last season. Team captain Van Bangayan led the Lady Warriors with seven points.
In another key match, Far Eastern University strengthened its own Final Four campaign with a 25-21, 22-25, 25-19, 25-22 victory over University of the Philippines.
The Lady Tamaraws snapped a two-game slump and improved to 7-5, forging a three-way tie for third to fifth places with Adamson and University of Santo Tomas.
Clarisse Loresco paced FEU with 17 points, while Alyssa Devosora delivered an all-around performance with a triple-double of 12 points, 21 excellent receptions, and 12 excellent digs.
UP dropped to 5-7 and now faces a must-win situation in its remaining games to stay in Final Four contention. Niña Ytang led the Fighting Maroons with 19 points./PN
