ADU vs NU – 2pm DLSU vs UST – 4pm Let’s bark again Bulldogs!” (Photo: Ivy Lacsina/Facebook)
The National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs kept their hopes of entering the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 playoffs alive after knocking out Adamson University’s run with a four-set game at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena last Sunday, March 31.
The set scores ended with 28-26, 30-32, 25-21, and 25-22, with senior skipper Roselyn Doria leading the way for the Lady Bulldogs with 12 spikes, five service aces, and one block; totalling 18 points. Ivy Lacsina also impressed with 15 points, while Princess Robles totalled 14 hits and 15 digs, with 11 excellent receptions. Audrey Paran scored a total of 11 points, while Jennifer Nierva had 44 digs and 33 excellent sets.
For Adamson, it was Bern Flora who attempted for a second win of the season with 16 points and 22 digs. Teammates Chiara Permentilla, Eli Soyud, and Joy Dacoron chipped 14 points, 12 points, and 10 points respectively.
After their win, Doria shared, “If Adamson is eager to win, we’re even more eager because we’re looking for a win. All our sacrifice during training, we applied.” NU head coach Norman Miguel also added, “We’re happy because it’s been a while since we won. The first round was our last win,” continuing, “We had changes in our system, Ivy was in the middle, Audrey became open-hitter, and though there were a lot of lapses still, we’re hoping that our next game, our moves improve with that change.”
This is the team’s seventh win in 10 games, snapping their three-game losing streak, while the Lady Falcons have only won one match in the past 10 games, making it the fifth year in a row they didn’t enter the league’s Final Four.
NU will try to secure that spot in the semifinals as they face the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Lady Eagles at the Smart Araneta Coliseum next Sunday, April 7, while Adamson faces the defending champions De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers on the same day.