UAAP: NU Lady Bulldogs crush UE Lady Warriors to seal Final Four return

Bella Belen and the NU Lady Bulldogs are heading back to the Final Four. –UAAP PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–National University hardly flexed its built-in prowess in a quick 25-5, 25-15, 25-13 demolition of University of the East on Saturday to progress to the Final Four of the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball.

Bella Belen showed no mercy on helping blow the Lady Warriors to bits with 21 points, including 13 attacks, on top of six aces out of her team’s 13 and two blocks in a dominating win that drove the Lady Bulldogs back to the semifinals.

“We’re in the Final Four, but it doesn’t mean that we can relax and stop working. We’re still looking for a better ranking among the four teams (in the semifinals),’’ said Belen after the Lady Bulldogs won their fourth straight game.

WATCH: Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon after winning their fourth straight game. #UAAPSeason85 | @LanceAgcaoilINQ pic.twitter.com/x0ucmviK0I

— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) April 22, 2023

The defending champion Lady Bulldogs are now in the company of La Salle (11-1) and Adamson (9-4) in the Final Four with nine victories against three defeats.

“It was simply the result of all the hard work. We have to continue minimizing our errors and work on our skills,’’ said Alyssa Solomon, who added eight points for the Lady Bulldogs.

But unlike the La Salle Lady Spikers who already possess the twice-to-beat edge, the Lady Bulldogs’ are in a tight three-cornered fight with the Lady Falcons and the University of Santo Tomas Tigresses (8-3) for the No. 2 spot and the leverage that goes with it.

The Lady Bulldogs unloaded 34 attacks against UE’s 17 while posting nine blocks compared to the one deflection that the winless Lady Warriors made in their 12th straight defeat of the season.

NU has two more games in the wrapping up the second round against the Tigresses, who defeated them in the first round, and the also-ran Ateneo Blue Eagles.