Lady Bulldogs take it all

NATIONAL University’s victorious Lady Bulldogs whoop it up after scoring the clincher against the Ateneo Lady Eagles in yesterday’s Shakey’s V-League championship series at Philsports Arena in Pasig. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

A record crown for a record run.

National University started strong, then Rubie de Leon took over in the clutch to down Ateneo, 25-23, 25-20, 17-25, 26-24, yesterday and capture its first Shakey’s V-League championship at Philsports Arena in Pasig.

De Leon virtually did everything for the Lady Bulldogs in the pulsating fourth set of the do-or-die Game 3 to end the two-year reign of the Lady Eagles, who blew a 24-22 lead just when they looked set to extend the match to a fifth set before an overflow crowd.

“They never gave up,” coach Edjet Mabbayad said of his Lady Bulldogs, who won the last two games of the best-of-three series. “We had good distribution and teamwork. I saw the maturity of the team; everyone wanted to win.”

De Leon, who was later named as Finals Most Valuable Player, took care of the Lady Bulldogs’ last two points, scoring on a crafty toss to an open Ateneo backcourt before setting up Dindin Santiago’s match-clinching kill.

Santiago, the season MVP, topscored with 17 points built on 15 attacks and a pair of service aces for  the Lady Bulldogs, who nailed their first volleyball crown in over five decades.

“We’re happy because this is history for NU,” said the 6-foot-2 Santiago.

De Leon delivered 13 points, including four service aces and three blocks.

Myla Pablo, Carmina Aganon and Jaja Santiago also came away with key plays in the thrilling finale of a breakthrough season where the Lady Bulldogs finished with just a loss—a three-set setback to the Lady Eagles at the start of their series for the title.

Earlier, University of Santo Tomas secured third place after downing Adamson, 25-18, 19-25, 25-29, 25-16, in Game 3 of their own series.

Aganon fired 13 points, highlighted by a block and a set-clinching kill, 25-20, after the Lady Eagles rallied within 20-23 in the second frame.

Pablo also unloaded 13 points, while the 6-foot-4 Jaja Santiago proved to be a frontline force anew to finish with 12 points.

“It’s a winner-take-all, so we really gave our best,” said De Leon after the Lady Bulldogs copped their first volleyball crown since winning back-to-back UAAP titles in 1956 and 1957.

Ateneo took Game 1 in straight sets, 25-15, 25-22, 25-23, but NU foiled the Lady Eagles’ title-sweep bid last week with a 26-24, 25-23, 25-22 triumph in Game 2.

“We lost our momentum when we had three service errors [late in the fourth set],” said Ateneo coach Roger Gorayeb.

The Lady Eagles dominated the third frame, 25-17, behind Alyssa Valdez, Jeng Bualee and Rachel Daquis, and looked poised to push the match to a deciding set.