NATIONAL U is one win away from a first round sweep in UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball after pinning Adamson down in straight sets, 25-21, 25-23, 25-17, on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Lady Falcons blew a 20-16 lead in the second frame, as the Lady Bulldogs fired a 9-3 blitz to take a 2-1 lead en route to a straight-sets shutout.
Come Set 3, the blue-and-gold fired six unanswered points in the home stretch capped by reigning MVP Bella Belen to lock in a sixth straight win.
Alyssa Solomon also went for 22 points built on 15 attacks, four blocks, and three aces.
The last time NU won its first seven games was in its Season 84 title run back in 2022.
Then, eventual MVP Belen and Solomon were still rookies, but went on to lead the Lady Bulldogs’ 16-game tournament sweep for their first championship in 65 years.
NU, UST set to rekindle rivalry
In the two succeeding seasons, National U was unable to sweep Round 1 because of one team which dealt the defending champion defeat in both occasions.
That one team just happens to be their Season 86 title rival and final Round 1 opponent on Sunday in University of Santo Tomas, which has won five in a row.
After racking up a win over his alma mater Adamson, head coach Sherwin Meneses hopes his Lady Bulldogs will continue to make the most of their strengths to take down arguably their toughest foe yet.
"Based sa stats, ma-maximize lang namin talaga (yung strengths namin) at mabawasan yung unforced errors. Du'n kami magfo-focus sa basic skills. Talagang medyo marami ngayon yung mga errors na yun," Meneses said.
Spiker Vange Alinsug added: "Magandang laban siya sa'min kasi alam din kasi namin na sila, hindi rin sila magpapatalo lang nang wala lang kaya laban lang kami hanggang matapos lahat ng sets."
Meanwhile, Adamson’s losing streak has been stretched to three, and it has now lost four of its last five.
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