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UAAP volleyball: NU snaps Ateneo's winning streak in 5-set thriller

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/sports/03/22/nu-admu-032217.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">NU&#x27;s Jaja Santiago powers a spike through Ateneo&#x27;s Kat Tolentino and Maddie Madayag. <cite>Arvin Lim, ABS-CBN Sports</cite></div></figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines – In one of the best games of the UAAP Season 79 tournament, the National University Lady Bulldogs edged the Ateneo Lady Eagles in a thrilling five-set war to seize solo third place in the league standings.In front of a vocal crowd at FilOil Flying V Centre on Wednesday, the Lady Bulldogs showed their composure down the stretch to seize a 17-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-21, 15-13 victory.The win hiked NU&#x27;s win-loss record to 7-4, putting the team half-a-game ahead University of Santo Tomas and a full game ahead of University of the Philippines (UP) in the chase for a spot in the Final 4.The victory also allowed the Lady Bulldogs to snap the Lady Eagles&#x27; eight-match winning streak, and gave them a season sweep of Ateneo. NU had beaten the Katipunan-based spikers in four sets back in the first round; the Lady Bulldogs remain the only team to have beaten Ateneo in Season 79.&quot;Malaking bagay sa amin ito,&quot; NU coach Roger Gorayeb said after the game. &quot;Sa ngayon kasi, kahit sinong team ang talunin namin, malaking bagay sa amin. Pinipilit namin mag-accumulate ng panalo para makapasok sa Top 4.&quot;Ateneo used its strong service game to take the opening set, before NU equalized in the second as Jaja Santiago started to impose her will. However, the Lady Eagles were able regain control, holding off NU&#x27;s rally in the third set to build a 2-1 advantage.It was Kat Tolentino who won the third frame for Ateneo, as her back-to-back attacks handed the Lady Eagles a 25-22 win after the Lady Bulldogs had trimmed the lead to one point.Determined to force a decider, NU surged to an 11-3 advantage in the fourth set, before Ateneo roared back thanks to its service game again. Tolentino fired three consecutive aces, and the Lady Eagles were able to come to within three, 8-11.NU pulled away anew, 23-16, as Santiago registered back-to-back rejections of Tolentino and rookie Jules Samonte, who was sent in to the game in place of the ineffective Michelle Morente. The time at the bench seemed to have reinvigorated Morente, however. Sent back in at crunch time, she proceeded to serve back-to-back aces to bring Ateneo to within three points, 20-23.However, an attack error by Jhoana Maraguinot put NU at set point, 24-20, and after a service error by Santiago, Jorelle Singh outmuscled Ateneo setter Jia Morado in a joust to force a fifth and deciding frame.The two teams traded points early in the fifth set, but NU claimed a crucial two-point cushion, 8-6, after a kill by Aiko Urdas and a hitting error by Maraguinot. The Lady Bulldogs were able to preserve their lead even in the face of Ateneo&#x27;s repeated fightbacks, and a quick kill by Santiago put NU at match point, 14-11.A crosscourt attack by Maraguinot and a hitting error by Santiago put Ateneo within one, 13-14, but NU did not even have to work for the match winner as Maraguinot&#x27;s last attack went way long.&quot;Masaya ako na &#x27;yung crucial moment ng laro, nag-deliver silang lahat,&quot; said Gorayeb of his players.Ateneo, playing its fourth game in 12 days, dropped to 9-2. The Lady Eagles notched a stunning 20 aces in the game against an NU team that played without a libero until the final stretches of the fourth set, but struggled with their own reception.Even with playmaker Morado tallying 47 excellent sets, Ateneo connected on only 48 of 145 attack attempts, for a 33% kill rate. Maraguinot, in particular, struggled: though she had a team-high 17 points, she converted only 14 of 41 attacks and had crucial spiking errors in the final frame.Santiago was simply dominant for the Lady Bulldogs. After getting turned back twice by Ateneo&#x27;s Bea de Leon in the opening frame, Santiago regrouped and finished with 25 points, eight of which came on kill blocks.Aiko Urdas added 12 points, and Singh finished with 11 for the Lady Bulldogs.Tolentino added 17 markers, and De Leon added 13 points for the Lady Eagles. Despite getting benched, Morente still finished with 12 points and 16 excellent receptions. (For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website.</a>)

In one of the best games of the UAAP Season 79 tournament, NU edged Ateneo in a thrilling five-set war to seize solo third place in the league standings.

In one of the best games of the UAAP Season 79 tournament, NU edged Ateneo in a thrilling five-set war to seize solo third place in the league standings.

UAAP volleyball: NU snaps Ateneo's winning streak in 5-set thriller

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UAAP volleyball: NU snaps Ateneo's winning streak in 5-set thriller

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 22, 2017 07:30 PM PHT

Read More:

UAAP women's volleyball

Ateneo Lady Eagles

NU Lady Bulldogs

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