MANILA – National University inched closer to an unprecedented Shakey’s Super League four-peat after surviving a ferocious challenge from University of Santo Tomas, escaping with a gritty 15-25, 25-23, 25-17, 13-25, 15-12 victory in Game 1 of the Preseason Unity Cup Finals last night at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The Lady Bulldogs, unbeaten for nine straight matches, stared down their toughest test of the tournament as the Golden Tigresses dragged them into a seesaw battle that lasted two hours and 39 minutes. NU had to overcome a dismal opening set, a mid-match collapse, and a late fifth-set deficit before storming back to move within one win of the championship.
Rookie sensation Sam Cantada, fresh off national team duty, anchored NU’s charge with 18 points on 16 attacks and two aces.
“Tumatakbo lang po sa talaga isip ko kahit anong mangyari alam kong may goal kami. Alam naming gusto naming makuha ang game na ito,” she said.
Middle blocker Chams Maaya was the defensive anchor, firing 14 points and picking up eight of NU’s 13 kill blocks — including the match-clinching stuff on Angge Poyos in the decider.
Down 10-12 in the fifth set, NU unleashed a clutch 5-0 burst sparked by a Kaye Bombita off-the-block hit. A UST rotational fault and an Abegail Pono attack tied the frame before a costly Poyos overreach paved the way for Maaya’s final rejection that sealed the comeback win.
“I just told them we have to focus on the process and not the result,” NU head coach Regine Diego said. “Kasi every time we do that, we tend to forget a lot of steps and we’re always in a hurry kaya nagkaka-problema kami. Once we tried to focus everything sa steps, sa pasa muna, isa-isa, then it got better in the end.”
The loss snapped UST’s seven-game winning streak despite another explosive effort from Poyos, who finished with 21 points built on 20 kills. Regina Jurado added 12, while Marga Altea and Xyza Gula scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Earlier, University of the Philippines rallied from a set down to defeat Ateneo de Manila University, 23-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-16, for fifth place, while College of Saint Benilde overpowered San Beda University, 25-10, 25-20, 25-14, for seventh./PN
