NU Completes Comeback to Secure Stepladder Semis Spot, Downs UST in Reverse Sweep

National University earned the second seed and an outright spot in the stepladder semifinals of the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Women’s Volleyball Tournament after rallying from two sets down to defeat University of Santo Tomas, 19-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-18, 15-13, on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Lady Bulldogs finished the elimination round with a 10-4 record, securing solo second place and avoiding any complications for the first phase of the semifinals.

De La Salle University, with an undefeated 14-0 record, is already waiting for the Finals, while Adamson University holds the third seed.

“I’m very proud of them because even though we came off a loss and were already fatigued, they pushed through and locked in the second rank. I’m very happy. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum going until the end,” said NU head coach Regine Diego.

Meanwhile, UST slipped to 8-6 and now shares the fourth and final semifinal spot with Far Eastern University (FEU).

In a day of thrilling reverse sweeps, FEU earlier staged a comeback to defeat Ateneo, 22-25, 23-25, 25-12, 25-21, 15-10, keeping their Final Four hopes alive. UST and FEU will battle for the No. 4 seed on Saturday at the Big Dome.

UST appeared to be in control after winning the first two sets, but NU regrouped to dominate the next two sets with identical 25-18 scores, forcing a decider. In the fifth set, NU held an 11-7 lead, but UST mounted a comeback with a four-point run, leveling the score at 11-all, sparked by Avril Bron and Angge Poyos.

The teams traded points until it was 13-all, but a crucial drop ball from Poyos went just wide, giving NU match point. Captain Vange Alinsug then ended the match, scoring through the UST blockers to seal the victory after two hours and 23 minutes.

“We just wanted to bounce back from our loss in the previous game, that’s what motivated us. We’re happy to see the team’s effort and teamwork today,” said Arah Panique, who redeemed herself after a costly net fault in the previous game against La Salle that denied NU an outright Final Four berth.

Panique finished with 24 points, including 21 attacks, two blocks, and one ace, along with six digs. Sam Cantada also played a pivotal role, scoring 20 points from 15 spikes, three blocks, and two aces, along with 17 receptions and nine digs.

Alinsug contributed 13 points, 10 digs, and six receptions, while Chams Maaya added nine points, including four attacks, three aces, and two blocks. Shaira Jardio anchored NU’s defense with 33 excellent receptions and 16 digs, and Camilla Lamina set up the offense with 24 excellent sets and five points.

For UST, Poyos was the standout with 24 points, 15 receptions, and nine digs, while Regina Jurado contributed 21 points and 16 digs. Cassie Carballo registered 25 excellent sets, eight digs, and four points, while Detdet Pepito was impressive defensively with 20 excellent receptions and 16 digs.