by Neal Tieng
Overwhelming.
Unbeaten Natilonal U totally outplayed the DLSU Lady Spikers 20-25, 12-25, 21-25 to capture game one of the best of three UAAP Volleyball finals series last Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
With a talent pool good enough to compete with the national team, the Lady Bulldogs fully utilized their deep rotation, featuring numerous offensive options to overwhelm the La Salle net and floor defense all game.
Struggling all match long against NU’s potent wing hitters with their quick kills in the middle, effective wing play, plus the stellar NU defense, the Lady Spikers failed to find their form going up against what seemed to be an invincible National U defensive wall.
The green and white volleybelles were able to hang around early in the first set at 7-7 until the real monsters of NU came out to play.
The Alyssa Solomon, Princess Robles and Mhicaela Belen frontline combo of the Bulldogs outscored La Salle 10-3 to seize control of the set at 10-17, and went on cruise control to win set number one.
When the buzzer ushered in the second set, it was all NU.
Most points scored by La Salle in the set were from NU errors and loomed closely at 7-9. Soon as playtime was over, NU zoomed ahead again with an 11-3 run and made the set unreachable at 11-20.
Just when we thought the Lady Spikers might break the losing streaks on sets in the third by challenging NU at the 20-22 point, the NU duo of Solomon and Belen finished off game one with unstoppable wing attacks.
It will take a lot of mapping out new game strategies for Coach Ramil De Jesus and his Lady Spikers if they want to avoid a sweep when La Salle meets NU again on Tuesday, June 22, 2022, at the Mall of Asia Arena at 6:30pm.
ANIMO LA SALLE…. Pa rin.
