National University showed great resolve and rallied past Arellano University, 25-17, 26-28, 17-25, 25-13, 20-18, to book the first ticket in the Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference Saturday night at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
Led by their towering spiker Jaja Santiago, the Lady Bulldogs climbed back from a two-sets-to-one hole and rose from a 13-9 in the fifth set in stunning fashion.
Santiago carried NU in the pivotal stretch as she came up clutch with six hits.
The Lady Bulldogs also got unlikely help from the Lady Chiefs’ Jovielyn Prado, who committed back-to-back errors.
NU, which remained unscathed in the conference, faces either Adamson or Far Eastern University in the championship round.
The Lady Tamaraws forced a do-or-die Game 3 on Monday after edging the Lady Falcons in five sets.