UP Fighting Maroons stun NU Lady Bulldogs in 5 sets

Video games on Saturday
(Good Araneta Coliseum)
9 a.m. – DLSU vs UST (males)
11 a.m. – ADMU vs AdU (males)
1 p.m. – ADMU vs AdU (ladies)
5 p.m. – DLSU vs UST (ladies)

VENGEFUL College of the Philippines (UP) pulled the rug from below reigning champion Nationwide College (NU), 26-24, 23-25, 17-25, 25-23, 15-12, to snap its unbeaten run within the UAAP Season 87 ladies’s volleyball on Wednesday on the Filoil EcoOil Middle in San Juan.

The Combating Maroons unleashed a 4-0 bomb within the fourth set capped by Joan Monares’ hammer to finish the upset that ended the Girl Bulldogs’ good 8-0 begin and pushed them to solo fifth place at 4-5.

Center blocker Niña Ytang led the best way with a career-high of 30 factors on 27 hits and three blocks as UP, within the course of, quenched a nine-game, seven-year dropping drought to the mighty NU since Season 81 in 2019.

Ms. Ytang was the primary center blocker to breach 30 factors since Jaja Santiago of NU tallied the identical output in 2017.

However the veteran Combating Maroon wasn’t alone within the large win with Ms. Monares (16), Irah Jaboneta, Kianne Olango (10) and Bienne Bansil (10) chipping in stable contributions.

Ms. Jaboneta had 13 digs and 19 receptions for an all-around play whereas Jaz Manguilimotan engineered UP’s upset with 17 wonderful units and libero Yesha Capistrano offered 11 digs and 7 receptions.

“I’m speechless. The ball is spherical,” mentioned the 23-year-old center blocker Ms. Ytang, who additionally got here near the UP ladies’s report of 32 factors set by Tots Carlos in 2018.

UP did, erasing a 1-2 set deficit none greater than a tall stand within the decider on the expense of the mighty NU facet with a confirmed championship pedigree.

The Girl Bulldogs, who swept the Combating Maroons within the first spherical, 25-13, 25-23, 25-22, have been nonetheless defending a 12-11 lead within the fifth set off an Alyssa Solomon hit earlier than being surprised and blanked the remainder of the best way.

UP launched an onslaught in 4 straight possessions highlighted by Ms. Ytang’s fast hit and Ms. Monares’ finisher that went straight via NU’s defenders.

Reigning MVP Bella Belen had her numbers with 21 factors on 16 hits and 5 aces whereas Ms. Solomon (19), Vange Alinsug (16) and Erin Pangilinan (11) have been additionally stable however to no avail in NU’s first scar this season.

Within the males’s division, four-peat champion NU (7-2) clobbered UP (2-7), 23-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-23, for bounce-back win after a surprising loss to La Salle. — John Bryan Ulanday