By NIKOLE JAVIER
Defending champion National University finally solved University of Santo Tomas’ puzzle and went on to draw first blood, 25-17, 26-24, 25-19, in the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Volleyball Finals on Saturday, May 11, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Putting behind the heartaches they suffered in the elims that saw them lose twice, the NU Bulldogs played like true champions that they are, coming through with brilliant combination plays apart from being rock-solid on the defensive end to finally prevail over the Espana-based squad.
The win put NU on threshold of completing a dream four-peat.
Graduating setter Owa Retamar was again a joy to watch, what with his creative plays that benefited the team’s wing spikers a lot but at the same made life miserable for the Golden Spikers.
In all, he produced 24 excellent sets in only three sets that went with five important points.
The dynamic duo of Buds Buddin and Nico Almendras carried out 16 points each with 15 and 14 attacks, respectively, while Leo Aringo contributed 15 points built on 12 kills and three blocks in the brief affair.
In beating the Josh Ybañez-led UST, the Bulldogs also established a defensive wall that denied UST spikers time and again.
Case in point was Ybanez.
The reigning MVP was held to just 11 points, a victim of NU’s defensive dragnet.
Ybañez, who is set to become back-to-back UAAP MVP, was the lone bright spot for the squad with 10 attacks and one service ace.
The Bulldogs outmuscled the Golden Spikers in two skills departments, scoring seven more attacks than the latter with 46 while showing up with powerful defense after tallying 12 blocks compared to UST’s five.
Although UST slightly committed more errors, NU’s dominance purely came off effort and individual skills.
“Ito ‘yung pinaka magandang laro namin sabay sabay sila in terms of skills in offensive, defense with blockings. Nandito lahat ‘yung [kailangan namin] sana matuloy tuloy. ‘Yun naman goal namin for this game,” NU head coach Dante Alinsunurin.
“Continue lang namin siguro kung ano ‘yung ginagawa naming maganda ngayon. Naka-focus kami at may lakas ng loob hanggat maari hindi pwede mag-relax,” he added.
NU will resume its four-peat bid against the revenge-seeking UST in Game 2 on Wednesday, May 15, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
