OUTWIT, outplay, outlast was what National U did in its do-or-die duel against University of Santo Tomas in the middle of the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday.
Proving yet again that championship DNA remains well within this current core, the Lady Bulldogs trumped the Golden Tigresses anew, 19-25, 26-24, 26-24, 25-21 to take a seat opposite yet-unbeaten La Salle in the UAAP Season 88 women's volleyball finals.
After dropping the first frame, the two-time defending champions put their hearts on full display in front of a 14,344-strong crowd, with Arah Panique showing the way in extensions in Sets 2 and 3.
In the second set, NU was staring at a three-point deficit, 16-19, before Panique joined forces with Vange Alinsug for a 10-5 surge to put the two teams on level ground in the match.
The blue-and-gold was down again, 20-22, in the third frame until again, Panique put them on her back for a 6-2 run that again, proved to be the difference in the extension.
Fighting for its very life, UST then raced to an 18-14 edge in Set 4 only to see Alinsug come alive with five points in the Lady Bulldogs' backbreaking and heartbreaking 11-3 tear that closed out the contest for good.
Total team effort
Panique finished with 23 points, all but two from spikes and Alinsug backstopped her with 18 markers, with 10 coming in the fourth frame.
Middle blockers Chammy Maaya and Alexa Mata were also activated with 14 and 10 points, respectively, as Lams Lamina made it all happen with 34 excellent sets.
Shaira Jardio cleaned up the floor as always with 24 digs and 25 receptions to make sure National U extended its reign a little longer, at the very least, while also staying as thorn on the side of the Golden Tigresses, the very same victims of their reverse sweep to end the eliminations.
READ: Jardio the personification of 'got your back' for National U
With that, the Lady Bulldogs get another shot at the Lady Spikers, who completed a clean sweep of the elims and automatically advanced to the finals.
Reg Jurado topped the scoring column for UST with 19 points, as Angge Poyos and Jonna Perdido flanked her with 16 and 15 markers, respectively. Top gun Poyos, though, was muzzled to just five points in Sets 3 and 4 even as Cassie Carballo wound up with 35 excellent sets.
Playing what turned out to be her last game in the collegiate ranks, black-and-gold captain-slash-libero Detdet Pepito got 23 digs and eight receives under her belt.
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