Lady Bullpups off to rousing Rising Stars start
Fancied National University Nazareth School announced its arrival with a resounding two-game sweep to set its title quest in the 2025 Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League (SGVIL) Rising Stars Cup Division 1 in motion on Monday at La Salle Green Hills Gym.
The reigning UAAP champions, fresh off a gold medal conquest in the Ilocos Norte Palarong Pambansa, sent a strong statement with a sweep of erstwhile unbeaten Far Eastern University-Diliman, 25-19, 25-23 in the Lady Bullpups’ debut match in Pool D.
UAAP Season 87 MVP Sam Cantada fired seven points as NUNS slowed down Lady Baby Tamaraws top gunner Ifunanya Udeagbala and neutralized her support crew to spoil FEU-Diliman’s bid for an elimination round sweep of the country’s biggest grassroots volleyball league.
The Lady Bullpups returned in the afternoon to score a 25-23, 25-14, victory over St. John’s Institute-Bacolod.
NUNS encountered tough resistance from the Falcons in the opening set. The Ilonggo squad kept it close and even saved a set point, 23-24, before Jenelyn Jacob secured the frame with a down-the-line hammer.
Then it was all NUNS in the second frame.
Cantada scored 10 points while Jacob and Raine Alonzo added eight more each for NUNS, which will face University of the Philippines Integrated School (0-3) and University of Sto. Tomas (2-1) on Tuesday to wrap pool play.
The Lady Baby Tamaraws closed their elimination round with a 3-1 card and were denied an outright quarterfinal berth. FEU-Diliman will have to wait for the result of the remaining Pool D games to determine if it will advance into the knockout stage or be sent packing.
