NU Lady Bulldogs vs lowly UE Lady Red Warriors at UAAP women’s volleyball

Games on Wednesday
(PhilSports Arena)
9 a.m. – UE vs NU (men)
11 a.m. – ADMU vs FEU (men)
1 p.m. – UE vs NU (women)
3 p.m. – ADMU vs FEU (women)

IT’S TIME to stabilize the ship for National University (NU) after losing twice in the last three matches that may derail its title retention drive in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball.

The NU Lady Bulldogs swept the first round but absorbed stinging defeats since then at the hands of lower-ranked opponents, causing an alarm entering the homestretch of the eliminations against the top contenders.

“It’s alarming for us,” said reigning MVP Bella Belen as NU (9-2) eyes a quick payback against the winless University of the East (UE) (0-11) at 1 p.m. on Wednesday at the PhilSports Arena after the 3 p.m. duel of Ateneo de Manila University (4-7) and Far Eastern University (7-4).

NU tasted its first defeat against host University of the Philippines in five sets then got humbled by Adamson University over the weekend in four, thanks to the 32-point eruption of super rookie Shaina Nitura.

Despite the defeat, the Lady Bulldogs clinched a seat in the Final Four owing to UP’s sixth loss against FEU but the goal is securing the No. 1 seed and the twice-to-beat incentive.

But with two costly losses, NU’s once wide gap after an 8-0 start from challengers De La Salle University (8-3), University of Santo Tomas (7-4) and FEU (7-4) for that bid has been reduced to a striking distance.

Meanwhile in the men’s play, four-peat champion NU (9-2) shores up its win-once bonus as well against also-ran UE (0-11) at 9 a.m. while FEU (10-1) tries to bolster its top-seed bid over semis hopeful Ateneo (6-5) at 11 a.m. — John Bryan Ulanday