UAAP: Green Spikers upset NU to keep Final Four hopes alive

Amid the dominating run of the Lady Spikers, the DLSU Green Spikers have been going on a running tear of their own, beating defending champion NU in four sets, 25-23, 22-25, 25-23, and 25-21. Coming off a rousing win against last season’s runner-up FEU, the Green Spikers have notched two crucial victories to put themselves half a game behind fourth-placer Adamson, with two games left in the elimination round.

Green Spiker Raymark Woo was adjudged as the best player of the game, finishing with 22 points, 18 of which came from attacks.

NU raced to an early 2-0 in the opening set, with Philip Cerveza breaking the silence later to give DLSU its first point. Both went teams traded points throughout the set until Woo and Red Christensen broke a 23-all deadlock to give DLSU the first set, 25-23.

The second set started out the same way as both NU and DLSU traded points until the Green Spikers scored four straight points to race to an 8-4 lead. Christensen and Woo continued to pad on the points, eventually stretching DLSU’s lead to its largest of the set at 8, 19-11. NU responded with an 11-3 run of their own to tie the game at 22, eventually scoring three more points to take the second set, 25-22.

NU took control of the third set, racing to a seven point lead, 12-5. DLSU cut the lead to four multiple times yet couldn’t get closer until NU’s unforced error tied the game at 22 apiece. Woo was key as he scored two crucial points to give DLSU the third set, 25-23.

In the fourth set, the Green Spikers raced to an early 4-0 lead, eventually leading by eight, 11-3 , after a block from Woo. It wasn’t until the latter part of the set that DLSU stretched their lead to 11, 17-6  after NU’s shot went wide. NU tried to come back, eventually cutting the lead to three, 24-21, until the Green Spikers finally closed out the number one team in the UAAP, 25-21.

Up next for the Green Spikers is a crucial matchup with Adamson, who are currently at 7-5 after their victory against UST. DLSU and Adamson will clash on Wednesday, February 12, at 10 am in the San Juan Arena.