UAAP: Bella Belen-led NU blitzes past Adamson

NU Lady Bulldogs. UAAP PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines-National University refused to engage Adamson into another tight confrontation, prevailing with plenty to spare, 26-24, 25-16, 25-22, on Wednesday at the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball.

Bella Belen ruthlessly bombarded the enemy’s lair and delivered 20 points, 18 of them high-octane attacks as the Lady Bulldogs imposed themselves forcefully in notching a second straight victory, their seventh overall in 10 games following a long break.

“We really prepared hard for this game. We reset our mind and body during the break, but we immediately studied their movements as soon as we returned to training,” said Bella after the defending champions tied their prey in second place behind solo leader La Salle (9-1).

Alyssa Solomon pummeled Adamson with nine attacks out of 11 points and Evangeline Alinsug added 10 points and three blocks while setter Camilla Lamina choreographed the seamless NU offense with 15 of the team’s 16 excellent sets.

“This win is important. We just stuck to the strategy that our coaches prepared and trusted each other,” said Lamina after sweeping the Lady Falcons in their head-to-head this season. They barely escaped Adamson with a five-setter in the first round.

Both schools engaged in a back-and-forth skirmish throughout the first set with Sheena Toring’s push leveling the count at 24 prior to the breaks that NU essentially needed.

Princess Robles uncorked a thundering cross and Rizza Cruz’s miscalculated tip-in dropped on the sideline, throwing Adamson off the edge and enabling the Lady Bulldogs to seal the opening frame.

The end was quicker for the Lady Falcons in the second set as the Lady Bulldogs were in total command after breaking free from a tight contest at the onset.

Adamson found no answer against the blitz devised by Solomon, Toring and Belen, whose crunching cross and silky push made it 24-16 before another crosscourt bomb got detonated courtesy of Myrtle Escanlar.

The Lady Falcons put up a staunch front one last time in the third, but was smothered time and again by the Lady Bulldogs, who got going with the continuous shelling of Belen and Robles.

Belen gave NU a fitting windup with a powerful smash that rolled on top of the net before falling to the other side.

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