Jaja Santiago played the game expected of her as National University shook off a momentary collapse to prevail over Ateneo, 25-17, 25-13, 18-25, 29-27, Wednesday in the UAAP women’s volleyball at FilOil Flying V Center.
The 6-foot-5 Santiago scored four of the Lady Bulldogs’ last six points for their second straight victory and the solo leadership.
Santiago was head and shoulders—literally and figuratively—above everyone else as she hammered nine markers in the first set alone.
She finished with 26 points and was front and center of NU’s defense that yielded 14 blocks, including the winning point against Jho Maraguinot.
Far Eastern University drew its first win at the expense of Adamson, 25-12, 25-19, 25-16.
Earlier in men’s action, Ateneo stunned NU, 27-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-16, to join FEU at the top with two wins apiece.
The Lady Eagles tried to fight back after dropping the first two sets through the efforts of Maraguinot, Mich Morente, Kat Tolentino and Jia Morado.
They were comfortably ahead in the fourth set, 12-4, and then 22-17 on a service error by NU.
But an error and a block got the Lady Bulldogs going before Santiago and De Leon engaged in a shootout that extended the frame.
The Lady Bulldogs found alternative offensive thrusts in Risa Sato and Singh through Jasmine Nabor’s superb ball distribution that accounted for 46 excellent sets.
But Ateneo made a switch on defense, fortifying its blockade on the the wing position and putting the pressure on Santiago to carry the scoring load in the third.