NU Lady Bulldogs Facing Pressure in UAAP Semifinals
NU star Bella Belen thinks the No. 1 Lady Bulldogs need to loosen up before they battle the gung-ho FEU Lady Tamaraws one more time in a do-or-die match for a title berth.
Pressure on NU Lady Bulldogs
Pressure got the better of the top-seeded NU Lady Tamaraws. NU star Bella Belen wondered why even when it was the No. 4 FEU Lady Tamaraws who faced a do-or-die situation in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball semifinals.
“For me, the game was a bit too tense for us, I felt like the pressure crept in,” said Belen in Filipino after NU shockingly lost in straight sets to FEU, 25-23, 25-17, 25-23, in the Final Four opener on Saturday, May 4.
Need to Regain Composure
“We weren’t able to loosen up, we weren’t able to enjoy the game, so that’s when the miscommunication and errors started happening,” Belen added.
The Lady Bulldogs, who hold a twice-to-beat advantage as the No. 1 team, now have to fight the Lady Tamaraws again in a winner-take-all for a title berth on Wednesday, May 8.
Challenges Faced by NU
The usually potent NU offense, which propelled the team to the top of the elimination standings, was surprisingly not up to par. NU committed 25 errors – equivalent to a whole set – as players also couldn’t deliver their usual scoring production.
Belen was the lone double-digit scorer with 12 points, while Vange Alinsug and Alyssa Solomon got stifled to just 8 points apiece.
Looking Ahead
As the do-or-die game fires away on Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum, Belen believes the Lady Bulldogs can regain their fearsome form.