National U, finding its old form, pounds Adamson

Nationwide College star Bella Belen (No. 4) flashed her Most worthy participant type and mentioned the defending champions want comparable performances of their remaining video games. —UAAP MEDIA

Nationwide College’s (NU) conquest of Adamson was a morale-mending second for the defending champions. However Bella Belen mentioned the workforce is hungry for extra of the identical efficiency going into the culminating stretch of the UAAP Season 85 girls’s volleyball elimination spherical.

“This win will definitely enhance our confidence. We performed our most polished sport up to now for the reason that first spherical,’’ mentioned Belen after the Girl Bulldogs prevailed with a lot to spare over the Girl Falcons, 26-24, 25-16, 25-22, on Wednesday at Filoil EcoOil Centre.

“However we shouldn’t be content material. We’ve to proceed bettering ourselves by minimizing our errors and enjoying with consistency,’’ added final season’s rookie-Most Precious Participant.

The ruthless outdoors hitter bombarded Adamson with 20 factors, 18 of them high-octane assaults, as Nationwide U notched a second straight victory, the workforce’s seventh general in 10 video games following an extended break. Earlier than these twin victories, NU’s title protection—and its confidence—was in disaster following back-to-back losses to match chief La Salle in a span of 4 days.

Wild end

With 4 extra video games to shut out the second spherical—in opposition to Far Japanese College, College of the East, Ateneo and title contender College of Santo Tomas (UST)—the Girl Bulldogs are bracing for a wild end within the race to the Closing 4 after discovering themselves locked in a three-way tie with UST and Adamson at second place.

“It’s as much as us to self-discipline ourselves each time we play,’’ mentioned Belen after drawing help from Alyssa Solomon and Evangeline Alinsug, who mixed for 21 factors and 5 blocks.

Setter Camilla Lamina was likewise simply one of many vivid spots for NU after she choreographed their fluid offense with 15 of her workforce’s 16 wonderful units.

The win was a far cry from how the Girl Bulldogs had been dragged to 5 units by the Girl Falcons within the first spherical earlier than squeezing out a win.

“We all the time look again at our earlier losses and use them as motivation. It makes us totally conscious that we should always proceed constructing not solely individually, however as a workforce,’’ mentioned Lamina.

Each engaged in a back-and-forth skirmish all through the primary set, with Sheena Toring’s push leveling the depend for the final time at 24 previous to the breaks that NU primarily wanted.

Ateneo triumphs

Princess Robles uncorked a thundering cross and Rizza Cruz’s miscalculated tip-in dropped to the sideline, throwing Adamson off the sting and enabling the Girl Bulldogs to seal the opening body.

The tip got here faster for the Girl Falcons within the second set because the Girl Bulldogs had been in whole command after breaking free from a good contest on the onset. Adamson discovered no reply in opposition to the blitz by Solomon, Toring and Belen, whose crunching cross and silky push made it 24-16 earlier than Myrtle Escanlar detonated one other crosscourt bomb.

The Girl Falcons put up a staunch entrance one final time within the third, however had been smothered again and again by the Girl Bulldogs, who acquired going with the continual shelling of Belen and Robles.

“Our chemistry is essential. Once more, we simply caught to the technique that our coaches laid out and trusted one another,’’ mentioned Lamina.

Within the earlier match, Ateneo swept College of the Philippines, 25-20, 25-17, 25-22, behind the 17 factors of Religion Nisperos.

“We would have liked this win if we wish to go additional. We should possess a mindset of being dedicated every sport,’’ mentioned Ateneo coach Oliver Almadro.

Learn Subsequent

Do not miss out on the newest information and data.

For suggestions, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.