DEFENDING girls’ champion National University foiled University of Santo Tomas’ bid to march straight to the Finals with a 25-20, 25-15, 26-24, Sunday in the UAAP Season 80 high school volleyball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Bullpups played with a lot of intensity as they overcame the Junior Tigresses’ valiant effort in the third set to post their 10th win in 11 games.
UST finished the elims with an 11-1 record and will slide to No. 2 in the Final Four if NU beats also-ran University of the East in the final day of eliminations at 8 a.m. today at the San Juan arena.
The Bullpups and the Junior Tigresses hold a twice-to-beat bonus against either De La Salle-Zobel or Far Eastern University-Diliman (6-6) in the Final Four on Sunday.
In the boys’ division, titleholder NU and FEU-Diliman primed up for their much-anticipated showdown today by posting straight set wins.
The Bullpups downed UP Integrated School, 25-13, 25-7, 25-11, while the Baby Tamaraws swept De La Salle-Zobel, 25-16, 25-12, 25-20.
Still tied in first place at 11-2, NU and FEU-Diliman dispute the first twice-to-beat slot in the Final Four today.
UST and UE, meanwhile, also posted convincing wins to keep their hopes alive for the other semifinals’ incentive.
The Tiger Cubs tripped Adamson University, 25-15, 25-13, 25-20, while the Junior Warriors bested Ateneo, 25-15, 25-17, 25-20.
Both sporting 10-3 cards, UST and UE clash to break the tie today. The winner of the Tiger Cubs-Junior Warriors match will face the loser of the Bullpups-Baby Tamaraws tussle in a playoff for the No. 2 spot on Friday.