National University rebounds with a dominant sweep of Ateneo, 25-18, 25-19, 25-22, to solidify their position in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Volleyball Tournament

National University bounced back from a tough loss with a dominant sweep of Ateneo de Manila University, 25-19, 25-16, 25-15, in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Women’s Volleyball Tournament at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion on Saturday.

After a late rally from Ateneo in the opening set, where they held a 19-17 lead, the Lady Bulldogs responded with an 8-0 run, fueled by Sam Cantada’s powerful serves, Alexa Mata’s net defense, and a series of Ateneo errors. This strong surge secured NU the first set, 25-19.

From that point on, it was all NU as they cruised through the next two sets to close out the match in just 90 minutes.

“That’s the goal. Everybody’s goal is to bounce back and get up after you fall. I’m very happy because everybody gets to perform well today,” said NU head coach Regine Diego.

With the win, the Lady Bulldogs improved to a 7-3 record, moving into solo second place, ahead of an idle Far Eastern University. This victory marked a dominant rebound after a tough five-set loss to FEU, where NU had fallen short of completing a reverse sweep.

“Since galing po kami sa talo, ang mindset lang po talaga namin ay mag bounce back and play as one as a team. Very happy kasi ‘yung mga bata and kami also ay nageenjoy sa ginagawa namin at ang iniisip lang namin ay one point at a time and one game at a time,” said two-time UAAP Best Setter Camilla Lamina, who contributed 11 excellent sets and three points in just two sets.

Arah Panique led the way for the Lady Bulldogs with 13 points and five digs. Cantada added 10 points, including five aces, four spikes, and a block, along with 12 receptions and six digs. Vange Alinsug and Chams Maaya each contributed six points, while Shaira Jardio stood out with 11-of-15 excellent digs and 8-of-11 excellent receptions.

Ateneo, now officially out of Final Four contention with a 1-9 record, will next face the University of the Philippines on April 8 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Geezel Tsunashima led the Blue Eagles with nine points, while middle blockers Dona De Leon and Jihan Chuatico added eight and seven points, respectively.