Lady Bulldogs gun for semis bonus vs Tams

THE NU Lady Bulldogs look to clinch one of the two Final Four twice-to-beat incentives as they face the FEU Lady Tamaraws in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today, April 24.

A Lady Bulldogs win over the Lady Tamaraws in the 4 p.m. clash would have the Norman Miguel-coached team finish the 14-game elimination round at least as second seed with a 12-2 record, securing one of those twice-to-beat advantage incentives.

Entering the match, NU leads the pack with an 11-2 slate laced with 33 points followed by the defending champs De La Salle Lady Spikers and the UST Golden Tigresses.

NU’s Vangie Alinsug tries to score against FEU’s Jean Asis during the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball first round at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay on March 6, 2024. PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO

La Salle and UST likewise sport identical 11-2 win-loss cards but have fewer points than NU, with the Lady Spikers carrying 32 and the Golden Tigresses holding 31.

A Lady Bulldogs loss to the Lady Tamaraws would drop them at 11-3 for a tie at no. 2 either with the Lady Spikers or the Golden Tigresses, relegating them to a playoff for that no. 2 seed and the last semis bonus slot.

The Lady Spikers and the Golden Tigresses will collide in the very last game of the elimination round on April 27 so one of them will have at least three losses and will face the Lady Bulldogs in that playoff.

The winner of the match, however, secures the top seed and a twice-to-beat advantage.

Spiker Bella Belen emphasized the importance for the Lady Bulldogs to finish strong, especially that they’re gunning for one of the two twice-to-beat semifinals incentives.

“What I learned from Season 84 and Season 85 is that when the game’s about to end, that’s when we have to be more eager to win like this second round where we’re still undefeated. We can’t let our guards down and our eagerness to win should remain,” said Belen, who fired 14 points in NU’s 25-16, 25-14, 25-18 win over Adamson at the PhilSports Arena on Saturday, April 20.

“Our job is not over yet until the season is over. We’re not going to stop just because we haven’t lost in the second round yet. Going undefeated is not our goal, it’s just one of our goals to achieve our main goal. We need to be consistent as the going gets tough,” added Belen, whose team is on a 6-game winning streak.

While they may no longer be in contention for a twice-to-beat advantage, expect the Lady Tamaraws to charge as they aim to finish the eliminations on a high note and enter the Final Four with a skyrocketing confidence.

FEU is the second hottest team in the league, riding on a 5-game winning run with the latest of that streak being a 25-20, 27-29, 25-21, 25-21 triumph over UP last Saturday.

“We’re going to prepare and the players need to be healthy. We need to prepare for whichever team we’re going to face in the Final Four but we have to finish this second round first against NU,” said Lady Tamaraws head coach Manolo Refugia.