By NIKOLE JAVIER
History awaits one school.
This as National University shoots for a historic double championship in the UAAP Season 86 men’s and women’s volleyball on Wednesday, May 15, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
With momentum definitely on their side, the Lady Bulldogs are out finish off the Golden Tigresses in Game 2 of their best-of-three Finals series against the Golden Tigresses at 4 p.m.
That could be the day’s highlight in the event the Bulldogs prevail over the Golden Tigers in their 2 p.m. showdown.
NU is looking to become the first team since Ateneo did the trick in 2015.
The Alyssa Valdez-led Ateneo squad went 16-0 in that season while Marck Espejo gave the Katipunan-based side a breakthrough men’s championship.
Like their women’s counterparts, the Bulldogs also drew first blood in their own best-of-three title series before nearly 21,000 energetic fans at the Araneta Coliseum that pushed on the cusp of completing a four-peat.
Likely set to be named this season’s best are Bella Belen of NU and Josh Ybañez of UST in the women’s and men’s tournaments, respectively, alongside the rest of the awardees at 1 p.m.
The trio of Belen, Alyssa Solomon and Vange Alinsug struck hardest in the team’s 25-23, 25-20, 25-20 victory that saw rookie Angge Poyos suffer an injury.
Sans Poyos, who sustained a right ankle injury midway through the second set after landing on the foot of teammate Em Banagua as they were going down from a block attempt on Solomon’s spike, had to be sidelined for the rest of the game.
Although the España crew refused to lean solely on the top rookie, Poyos was sorely missed in the rotation which had Jonna Perdido and Regina Jurado carry the scoring cudgels on their shoulders.
Even before UST’s lineup crisis, NU opened and ultimately finalized their first championship encounter looking evidently more composed and focused.
The Lady Bulldogs snapped a 65-year title drought in Season 84 before losing the rights to defending champion De La Salle Lady Spikers the following year.
It didn’t take long for NU to keep its promised redemption bid, finishing the eliminations as the top seed to secure its third consecutive championship appearance.
While the Golden Tigresses relied on their sturdy floor defense with top libero Detdet Pepito and likely two-time best setter Cassie Carballo being responsible for it, the Lady Bulldogs heavily contested through their defensive blocking which converted important second chances into hard-earned leads.
With UST holding its breath for Poyos’ return in time for its essentially win-or-go-home Game 2 appearance, NU is set to show up with a crucial advantage and will be refusing to let it go until the final point has been settled.
It may have taken time for it to pick up but when it finally did, it was the perfect time for defending champion NU to taste its first victory of the season over UST in the men’s clash.
The Bulldogs, who have been doormats against the Ybañez-led Golden Spikers all season long in the eliminations, settled some score off a 25-17, 26-24, 25-19 sweep in Game 1 of their Finals rematch.
NU is eyeing its first four-peat title which was interestingly last won by UST in Season 73 in 2011.
Disputing the trophy in their ninth consecutive Finals, the Bulldogs’ streak continues to live on with graduating setter Owa Retamar and wing spikers Buds Buddin and Nico Almendras out to provide firepower to remain in power.
