Bulldogs down Eagles to clinch semis bonus

(UPDATE) NATIONAL University (NU) claimed the remaining twice-to-beat advantage in the UAAP Season 87 men's volleyball tournament Final Four, sending Ateneo de Manila University to the brink of elimination with a gutsy 30-28, 25-23, 25-16 triumph, Sunday morning at the Araneta Coliseum.

Thanks to the collective efforts of team captain Leo Aringo and the spark provided by Jan Abanilla, the Bulldogs claimed a crucial playoff advantage while annexing the spot of rival squad UST Golden Spikers in the Final Four. They tallied their fifth straight win to hike their record to 11-2.

In this process, NU sent Ateneo on the verge of bowing out from Final Four contention. A win by the DLSU Green Spikers against the UP Fighting Maroons — which is ongoing as of posting time — would complete the Final Four cast in the men's division and officially boot out the Blue Eagles from the postseason festivities for the third straight year.

"Before we came here, we really set our mindset that we needed this game because it would be our advantage come the Final Four," Bulldogs head coach Dante Alinsunurin said.

Unlike the first two frames, two straight crosscourt hits from Aringo proved to be crucial for NU's straight-set win aspirations, sending Ateneo to a seven-point, 19-12 hole that proved to be too steep to overcome.

The Blue Eagles inched within five points with a 3-1 spurt to cut the deficit to 20-15, but a 1-2 play from Greg Ancheta, an off-the-speed hit and an ace from Michaelo Buddin, and an off-the-block attack and a game-sealing offspeed move from Abanilla completed the Bulldogs' fifth consecutive win in just 78 minutes.

A tightly contested second set saw the frame deadlocked at 21-all, but an attack error from Jian Salarzon and three straight attacks from Aringo propelled NU to a two-set advantage.

Buddin top-scored for the Bulldogs with 15 points on 10 attacks, three blocks, and two aces with eight excellent receptions and seven excellent digs, while Aringo provided 12 points on 11 attacks with seven excellent digs and six excellent receptions.