Alyssa Solomon (12) and the NU Lady Bulldogs during a sweep of Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines–Alyssa Solomon deflated Ateneo’s ego in a masterful, 25-22, 25-16, 25-15, win by National University on Wednesday night at the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament.
Solomon practically wreaked havoc on the floor by tormenting the Blue Eagles with 19 attacks out of 23 points as the Lady Bulldogs bolstered their bid for the top two spots in the semifinals.
“We’re getting better each game, but we don’t want to be complacent. We should learn from every game and apply them in succeeding matches,” said Solomon, who also delivered four of her team’s six aces.
SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball second round
Vangie Alinsug backstopped Solomon with 15 points built around 14 attacks apart from posting 11 receptions while Camilla Lamina kept NU’s offense humming with 15 excellent sets and a pair of aces.
“We cannot afford to lose games at this crucial stage. We should play with consistency going into the playoffs,” said NU team captain Erin Pangilinan.
Running third with a 9-2 record, the Lady Bulldogs are raring to win all remaining matches in the second round opposite defending champion La Salle, Adamson University and Far Eastern University for a shot to earn a twice-to-beat edge by the top two squads in the Final Four.
The UST Tigresses lead the pack with a 10-1 record while the La Salle Lady Spikers are not far behind at 9-1.
Hounded by errors, the Blue Eagles simply lost their fight in the second set after a nip-and-tuck affair in the opening frame with Solomon cashing in on the situation by banging in one hit after the other.
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Solomon punched an uncontested down-the-line attack from the back row and hammered another that pushed the Lady Bulldogs comfortably ahead, 22-12.
After Solomon was pulled out from the floor for a brief rest, it was Alinsug’s turn to whack the miscue-riddled Blue Eagles with back-to-back strikes prior to another NU block at set point.
The Blue Eagles briefly regained their sting at the start of the third set with AC Miner bringing them back to life.
But three consecutive aces by Solomon and Pangilinan’s spike again provided the Lady Bulldogs a four-point breather.
It’s all downhill for Ateneo from there as Solomon again took over with successive attacks.
Solomon punched another hit from the back row and capped off her heroics with a spike off a block at match point.
Miner tallied nine points while Yvana Sulit and Lyann De Guzman had eight points in Ateneo’s eighth defeat in 11 games.
That’s a tough position for the Blue Eagles, who must now sweep their remaining games for a Final Four opportunity while praying that the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws drop each of their last four matches in the second round.