NATIONAL U stands as the only team to have swept every Final Four contender in both rounds of prelims play in UAAP Season 87 women's volleyball.
Its last show of strength against a semis-bound opposition was denying University of Santo Tomas an outright twice-to-beat advantage in a 23-25, 25-17, 25-18, 22-25, 15-9 victory to close out the elimination round and cement the No. 1 seed for the third time in the last four seasons
READ: National U swats UST's shot at outright twice-to-beat advantage
That match, if any, gave Lady Bulldogs captain Bella Belen a fitting glimpse of what’s to come in the Final Four, as they reach the defining stages of their title defense.
It also served as a timely reminder for the reigning champions that they are, in fact, beatable when vulnerable.
“Yung UST, sobrang galing talaga nila and sobrang madepensa nila. Mahirap talaga sila kalaban kasi complete ‘yung players nila na may setter, may spiker, and may libero pa sila na magaling,” said Belen, referring to Cassie Carballo, Reg Jurado, Angge Poyos, and Detdet Pepito, of course.
“Thankful din talaga ko na naranasan namin siya ngayong last game namin sa elimination round. Marami kaming natutunan ulit at maraming lessons na pwede naming baunin pagdating sa semifinals.”
NU guarantees here
With almost a full week to gear up for its second-straight Final Four duel with Far Eastern University, Belen made sure not to get too caught up on the idea that they were able to fend off the Lady Tamaraws on multiple occasions.
Playoff volleyball, as she would know over the last four seasons, is always a whole new battleground.
“Hindi na po namin masyado ‘yun iisipin. Mag-aadjust po ‘yan eh, ‘yung tatlong teams. Mag-aadjust ‘yan, lalo na ‘yung FEU na next game namin,” the reigning MVP, and frontrunner for the same award, said.
“Kami, iisipin lang namin ulit kung ano ‘yung mga maganda naming ginawa against them and kung ano pa ‘yung mga dapat naming [ginawa] na hindi namin nagawa na pwede naming i-improve para mas maging better pa ‘yung games namin sa kanila.”
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