NU moved to two wins away from a first round sweep of UAAP Season 87 after the Lady Bulldogs shut down UP in straight sets.
The NU Lady Bulldogs survived a tough test from the UP Fighting Maroons in the second set before finishing things off with a sweep in their first UAAP Season 87 encounter, 25-13, 25-23, 25-22, Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The defending champions, now winners of five straight games, had to fend off a gutsy UP side in the second canto where they used a 3-0 run to get within a point, 24-23, threatening to extend the set. But an errant serve from Bienne Bansil gifted NU the 2-0 advantage.
It was the same story in set 3 as UP fought back from a late six-point deficit to tie the count at 22-all. But KOVO hopeful Alyssa Solomon fired off a 3-0 finishing kick as the Lady Bulldogs finished the job to remain perfect.
NU remain undefeated at 5-0, two wins away from an undefeated first round.
Bella Belen led the cavalry with 17 points, while Solomon ended up with 16 markers as Player of the Game.
Vange Alinsug added 11 points in the victory as well.
Middle blocker Kassandra Doering paced UP with 11 points, as the Fighting Maroons endured a fourth straight loss for a 2-4 record. Former NU-Nazareth School player Kianne Olango also added 10 markers for UP in her first game against her ex-high school teammates.