Manila: Defending champion National University (NU) outplayed the University of the East (UE), 25-14, 25-20, 25-17, Wednesday to end the round-robin phase of the playoffs with a 2-1 record in Pool E. Reigning Most Valuable Player Alyssa Solomon, Bella Belen, and Evangeline Alinsug delivered double-digit scores as the Lady Bulldogs earned a twice-to-beat advantage in the next round.
According to Philippines News Agency, Solomon had 11 points on nine attacks, one block, and an ace, while Belen made five attacks, five aces, and one block for the Lady Bulldogs, who finished with 41 attacks and nine service winners in the one-hour and 19-minute match. Alinsug contributed 10 points, including eight in the third set. “Little by little, coach Sherwin (Meneses)’s system is becoming more stable, so it is more adaptable, that’s why we were able to execute our preparation properly,” explained NU assistant coach Karl Dimaculangan, who took over while head coach Sherwin Meneses is in Taiwan for a previous commitment.
NU
will wait for the result of the De La Salle University-College of Saint Benilde match to determine its seeding in the crossover quarterfinals, which will start on Sunday. CSB also earned a twice-to-beat incentive. KC Cepada produced nine attacks followed by Jelaica Gajero with three attacks and one block for UE, which has a 1-2 slate.
The top two teams in Pools E and F will face the third and fourth-ranked teams from the opposite pools in the quarterfinals to advance to the knockout semifinals. The final round is a best-of-three series while the battle for third is a one-game affair.