La Salle nears semis bonus by sweeping UST

Defending champion De La Salle University inched closer towards a twice-to-beat

advantage in the Final 4 after sweeping University of Santo Tomas (UST) on Sunday
at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
The Lady Spikers displayed their poise through tight finishes in all three sets, en
route to claiming a 25-23, 25-23, 25-22 victory over the Golden Tigresses.
That was La Salle's 10th win of the UAAP Season 80 women's volleyball
tournament, putting them one step closer towards clinching a semifinals bonus in the
Final 4. It was also their sixth win in a row.
A balanced effort got it done for the Lady Spikers. Kianna Dy led the defending
champions with 12 points on eight kills and four blocks, while middle blockers Majoy
Baron and Aduke Ogunsanya combined for 17 points. Dawn Macandili had 28 digs
and 13 excellent receptions.
"Ang importante ay 'yung result," said La Salle coach Ramil de Jesus, who observed
some rustiness in his team after a long break. "Naka-survive kami ng straight sets,
pero medyo close 'yung game."
It was a no-bearing game for the Golden Tigresses, who had been eliminated earlier
in the day after National University swept University of the East. The loss dropped
UST to 4-9 in the tournament.
Though they were already out of the running for a Final 4 spot, the Tigresses played
with aggression in the opening frame and even took a stunning 23-19 lead off a kill
by Sisi Rondina.
But the Lady Spikers showed their championship composure in scoring the final six
points in the set. Dy sparked the comeback with a pair of points, but UST did not
help its cause by committing unforced errors. Their last violation – a net touch – tied
the set at 23.
Desiree Cheng brought La Salle to set point with an ace, and the Lady Spikers
completed the come-from-behind win when Rondina sent her next attack out.
It was UST's turn to do the chasing in the second set, but again, the Lady Spikers
proved to be the more poised squad.
A running kill by Tin Francisco tied the set at 21-all, but UST again shot itself in the
foot with back-to-back errors that handed control of the match back to the Lady
Spikers. Dy wrapped up the frame for the Lady Spikers when she registered a kill
block on Fil-Italian rookie Milena Alessandrini.
La Salle was in control for most of the third frame, before Rondina sparked a late
rally that brought the Golden Tigresses to within a point, 20-21.
But the tandem of Dy and Baron shut down Rondina in back-to-back rallies for a 23-
20 advantage, before Rondina roared back with a pair of kills to again make it a one-
point game, 22-23.
La Salle's net defense was simply too much, however, even for the high-flying
Rondina. She was once again roofed by Dy and Baron in the next rally, giving La
Salle match point, 24-22. May Luna sealed the deal with a spike that landed at the
unguarded zone 6 in UST's court.
"'Yun nga ang mahirap kalabanin, 'yung nothing to lose. Kasi wala ng pressure so
maglalaro lang talaga 'yun. And 'yun ang sinasabi ko naman sa mga players, na
kailangan paghandaan natin, napaka-importante ng game na 'to," said De Jesus.
Rondina had 23 points, while Alessandrini contributed 10 markers for the Golden
Tigresses.

UP arrests slide, extends NU's troubles

University of the Philippines (UP) fanned its flickering Final 4 hopes by stunning
National University (NU) in straight sets on Wednesday at the FilOil Flying V Centre
in San Juan.
Losers of three straight matches heading into Wednesday's game, the Lady Maroons
cruised to a comfortable 25-18, 25-22, 25-20 victory over the slumping Lady
Bulldogs.
It was only UP's fourth win of the tournament against eight losses, but it kept them in
the hunt for a spot in the Final 4. As it stands, UP's 4-8 record puts them in a tie with
University of Santo Tomas (UST) for sixth place in the league standings.
Once again, Diana "Tots" Carlos (18 points) and Isa Molde (10 points) carried the
offensive load for UP, but they also got solid contributions from Ayel Estrañero, Maris
Layug, and Jessma Ramos.
"The win feels really good because you see and you know everyone was really
working hard to get a win," said Estrañero. "You can really give credit to each one of
us because you can see how we really worked hard for each point in order to win the
game."
UP drew first blood after scoring six aces in the opening frame, which gave them a
comfortable 25-18 triumph. The Lady Bulldogs regained control of the match in Set
2, even leading 12-7 early on.
It was UP's service game that put them back in the contest. Carlos fired three aces in
a row to give the Lady Maroons a 21-19 lead, before Jaja Santiago stopped the
bleeding for the Lady Bulldogs.
But Estrañero came up with a clutch hit for a 23-21 count, and Santiago sent her
next attack to the net. NU saved a set point, thanks to Roma Doromal, but Estrañero
came up big anew as her offspeed attack won the frame for the Lady Maroons.
"I think we were able to apply very well what we actually did in training. All the
instructions of coach and all his reminders were really put into play during the game,"
Estrañero said.
NU adjusted in Set 3, playing the towering Santiago as a utility spiker. But the Lady
Maroons were rolling by that point, taking a 15-10 lead with both Molde and Carlos
contributing.
The Lady Bulldogs came to within two points, 18-20, off a backrow bomb by
Santiago, but UP uncorked four straight points to regain control of the contest. It was
a showcase for the "other" Lady Maroons, as Estrañero, Ramos, setter Rem Cailing,
and service specialist Abigail Lim produced the points in the crucial run.
A kill block by Risa Sato on on Estrañero and a kill by Santiago briefly kept NU alive,
but Ramos sealed the deal with a soft attack in the next rally.
UP peppered NU with 12 service aces, while limiting the Lady Bulldogs to only 24
kills.
Santiago led all scorers with 19 points on 15 kills and three aces, but no other NU
player finished in double digits.
The Lady Bulldogs have now lost five matches in a row since winning six of their first
seven games in the tournament. They have only won two sets in the second round of
Season 80.
From being the No. 1 team in the league, NU is now just half a game ahead of
Adamson University for the last spot in the Final 4.

Ateneo rallies past Adamson to clinch Final 4 playoff

The Ateneo Lady Eagles are assured of at least a playoff for a spot in the semifinals
after outlasting Adamson University in a five-set classic on Sunday at the Araneta
Coliseum.
The Lady Eagles came back from a set down twice, rallied from a seven-point deficit
in the fourth frame, and averted a meltdown in the decider to claim a difficult 24-26,
25-19, 21-25, 26-24, 15-12 victory.
It was Ateneo's eighth win of the UAAP Season 80 women's volleyball tournament
against three losses. They have won four matches in a row since losing to defending
champion De La Salle University in their last game of the first round.
Deanna Wong spearheaded Ateneo's win with 63 excellent sets on top of six points.
Adamson saw its two-game winning streak come to a painful end. The Lady Falcons
also squandered a golden opportunity to earn a share of fourth place. Instead, their
record dropped to 5-6 and they remain in fifth, one game behind National University.
"We just didn't give up," said Wong after the game. "It all really goes back to Coach
Tai (Bundit's) mantra na heart strong."
The Lady Eagles were down two sets to one after failing to complete a comeback in
the third frame, and appeared to be on the brink of defeat after falling behind 15-22
in Set 4.
But they won seven of the next eight points, with middle blockers Maddie Madayag
and Bea de Leon coming up big at the net to power their run. Only a crosscourt kill
by Adamson skipper Jema Galanza stopped their rally and sent the Lady Falcons to
match point, 24-22.
The Lady Eagles refused to fade easily, however. A down-the-line hit by Jhoana
Maraguinot coupled by a violation on Galanza knotted the set at 24. Adamson was
called for another violation in the next rally, and Maraguinot completed the come-
from-behind win with an emphatic rejection of Galanza, sending the match to a
deciding frame.
With momentum on their side, Ateneo zoomed to an 8-2 start as Adamson's service
reception began to falter. The Lady Eagles were still ahead, 11-6, when Galanza
began to take over. She scored back-to-back hits to spark a 5-0 spurt, with
Maraguinot committing an attack error that tied the set at 11.
But a quick hit by de Leon, followed by a violation by Adamson veteran Mylene Paat,
swung the momentum back to Ateneo. Galanza temporarily stopped the Lady
Eagles' march with a booming attack, only for Maraguinot to answer with a sharp
crosscourt hit. Kat Tolentino then wrapped up the win by blocking Paat's final hit at
the net.
Maraguinot went blow for blow with Galanza, and each player finished with 23 points
to lead their respective teams.
Tolentino (17 points), Jules Samonte (12) and de Leon (11) also scored in double-
digits for Ateneo, making up for a rare off night from skipper Madayag who was
limited to six markers in the game.
Paat had 17 points, Eli Soyud contributed 11, and Joy Dacoron scored 10 for the
Lady Falcons, who looked to beat Ateneo in its own game by shoring up their net
defense. Not usually known for their blocking, Adamson registered 16 kill blocks in
the game to Ateneo's 11.
But the Lady Eagles had more spike points, 57-50, and Adamson committed four
more errors, 36-32 – which spelled the difference in the close game.
The league will now take a 10-day break in observance of the Holy Week before
resuming on April 4 at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Adamson fans Final 4 bid, sends NU to 3rd straight loss

Adamson University bolstered its Final 4 bid in the UAAP Season 80 women's
volleyball tournament by overwhelming National University (NU) in four sets on
Wednesday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
The Lady Falcons recovered quickly from an error-strewn third set to bring down the
Lady Bulldogs, 25-19, 25-15, 18-25, 25-13, and improve their record to 5-5 with just
four games left in their schedule.
As it stands, the Lady Falcons are now just a game behind NU and idle Far Eastern
University (FEU), who both have 6-4 slates, for the last spot in the Final 4. The win
also gave them a measure of revenge against the Lady Bulldogs, who beat them in
four sets in their season-opener.
"We knew how important this match was for us," said Adamson coach Airess Padda.
"Every game from here on out, we're playing to get to the Final 4."
"It's survival now, so you gotta play every game balls out. I'm really proud of our
team today," she added.
Three players scored in double-digits for Adamson, with skipper Jema Galanza
tallying 16 points, Joy Dacoron firing 13, and Mylene Paat adding 11 points. The
Lady Falcons also got a whopping 39 free points off NU's unforced errors.
Adamson cruised to a comfortable two-set lead, using pinpoint serving to get the
Lady Bulldogs off-kilter. But they succumbed to their old, bad habits in the third set,
which saw them commit 13 unforced errors. A brutal stretch which saw them commit
five straight miscues – three of which were made by Eli Soyud – allowed NU to take
control, 18-14.
But they recovered in the fourth frame, with virtually every player contributing in
scoring. NU, meanwhile, fell apart and committed a bevy of attack errors that
doomed their cause.
"They (NU) had trouble with their first ball," said Paddda. "If you were to define us,
we're not a strong serving team but we focused on consistent serves. We knew if
they couldn't get a good pass, that eliminates Jaja (Santiago) and (Risa) Sato."
Santiago was the lone NU player in double-digits, scoring 21 points on 17 kills, two
blocks, and two aces. Remarkably, the NU captain also had 11 digs in the game.
But the Lady Bulldogs' error-prone ways cost them, as did the struggle of their wing
players. Once more, their open hitters – Roma Doromal, Audrey Paran, and Aiko
Urdas – failed to provide ample support for Santiago.
This was NU's third loss in a row. The Lady Bulldogs, once the No. 1 team in the
league, have yet to win in the second round.

La Salle tightens grip on top spot with 5-set win over FEU
Defending champion De La Salle University racked up its fourth win in a row in
come-from-behind fashion, as the Lady Spikers hacked out a difficult five-set win
over Far Eastern University (FEU) on Sunday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San
Juan.
Behind the combined efforts of Majoy Baron and Kianna Dy, La Salle worked its way
back from a one-set deficit to claim a 25-17, 21-25, 16-25, 25-20, 15-5 triumph over
the Lady Tamaraws.
This was La Salle's fourth straight win in the UAAP Season 80 women's volleyball
tournament, hiking their record to 8-2. The Lady Spikers remain at the top of the
league standings, and are assured of at least a playoff for a spot in the Final 4.
"'Yung fifth set, kung sino ang kapitan ng momentum, 'yung confidence makukuha
mo," said La Salle coach Ramil de Jesus after the game. "Good thing, sa side namin
napunta."
Baron and Dy each fired 18 points, and Desiree Cheng added 10 markers. Baron in
particular was dominant, as she tallied 10 attacks, five aces, and three kill blocks. Dy
scored 15 of her points on kills.
The Lady Spikers appeared headed for a quick win after surging to an early 17-4
lead in the opening frame. But FEU showed that they were not to be taken lightly, as
they came back to threaten late before La Salle pulled away for a 25-17 win in the
opening set.
With momentum on their side, the Lady Tamaraws pounced on La Salle in the
second and third frames. FEU unloaded heavy serves on the Lady Spikers and
frustrated the defending champions with their net defense, allowing them to claim the
next two sets and seize a 2-1 lead.
But La Salle showed its championship poise in the fourth frame, when they held on
in crunch time to force a decider. Dy and Baron were instrumental in the triumph, as
the former fired an offspeed shot and the latter served up consecutive aces to push
La Salle ahead, 21-17.
FEU came to within two points, 19-21, before the Lady Tamaraws succumbed to
their own unforced errors in the end game.
The Lady Spikers, now armed with confidence, built a quick 5-0 lead in the final
frame. FEU came to within three points, 4-7, off a kill by Cel Domingo, but that
proved to be their last meaningful point of the match. La Salle reeled off six
unanswered points, with Dy firing a pair of sharp crosscourt hits, and Baron adding
another ace, to completely seize control of the game.
"Noong second and third set, sila rin 'yung nawala," de Jesus said of the veteran
pair. "Kaya sabi ko, walang magbubuhat ng team kung lahat tayo mahihirapan sa
adjustment ng FEU. So nung dumating 'yung fourth and fifth, sabi ko dapat naka-
adjust na tayo."
FEU skipper Bernadeth Pons had 16 points and 12 excellent receptions for the Lady
Tamaraws, and Toni Rose Basas added 12 markers. But the Lady Tams gave away
35 free points off their own miscues – five of which came in the deciding fifth set.
FEU lost for the second time in three games to drop to 6-4, which is still good for
fourth place in the league standings.

Adamson exacts revenge on UE, ends slump

 (UPDATED) The Adamson University Lady Falcons finally broke out of their slump
and gained a measure of revenge on University of the East (UE) on Sunday at the
FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
After a difficult two-week stretch that saw them lose back-to-back games in grueling
fashion, the Lady Falcons got their acts together and outlasted the Lady Warriors in
a five-set thriller, 19-25, 25-11,16-25, 25-16, 15-12.
Adamson improved to 4-5 in the UAAP Season 80 women's volleyball tournament,
and kept their Final 4 hopes alive.
"I thought the team did a good job fighting, especially in the fifth set, not letting UE go
on point runs and keeping the lead," Adamson coach Airess Padda said after the
game. "We definitely need to build on this."
The Lady Falcons entered the game having lost four of their last five contests, with
their lone win a shock four-set victory over defending champion De La Salle
University. But they followed up that milestone by losing to UE and University of the
Philippines (UP) in back-to-back games, both of which were five-set marathons.
Against UE on Sunday, they played with a greater sense of urgency, knowing that
another loss could kill their playoff hopes. It was another difficult game for the Lady
Falcons, especially as they were up against a confident UE squad that had won two
games in a row.
"We knew today coming into this game that UE has the confidence. I'm pretty sure
that they expected to beat us. Um, I just told them, it's not gonna be easy," said
Padda.
Skipper Jema Galanza led the way for Adamson, firing 22 points on 18 kills and
three aces. Mylene Paat added 18 points for the Lady Falcons, who were playing
without injured Fil-Italian rookie Chiara Permentilla (left ankle).
The Lady Warriors look poised for another upset win after going up, 2-1. They got a
scare in the second set, when ace libero Kath Arado suffered an ankle injury, but she
shook it off and stayed in the game. Adamson's floor defense then fell apart in the
third set, with Shaya Adorador and Mary Ann Mendrez firing from all angles.
Galanza, however, was not about to let her team lose to UE twice in one season.
She took charge in the fourth set, overpowering the taller Lady Warriors at the net to
send the match to a decider.
The Lady Falcons pounced on UE's errors to surge to an 8-4 advantage in the fifth
set, but the Lady Warriors went on to win three of the next four points to close to
within one, 9-8, prompting Padda to sue for time.
Off the break in action, UE setter Lai Bendong proceeded to commit two errors, and
Galanza fired a hit down the line to give the Lady Falcons a more comfortable 12-8
lead. The Lady Warriors would not go away quietly, however. After Galanza
committed an attack error, Mendrez fired back-to-back kills to again make it a one-
point game, 11-12.
UE had a perfect opportunity to tie the game when Adamson was caught celebrating
too early in the next rally, as the Lady Falcons thought that Lea Ann Perez had
scored off a quick hit. But referees saw a pancake dig for UE, and play went on even
as the Lady Falcons celebrated on the other side of the net. Unfortunately for the
Lady Warriors, they could not capitalize as Bendong sent her pass way beyond
Mendrez's reach.
A crosscourt kill by Galanza put Adamson at match point, and while UE briefly
stayed alive through a net violation by the Lady Falcons, they could not complete the
comeback as Paat powered an attack through the UE blockers to wrap up the win.
"Sobrang laking tulong siya kasi 'yun na 'yung para tumaas ulit ang morale namin at
makuha namin ang momentum namin. Siyempre the more na nananalo kami, malaki
'yung chance na makapasok kami ng Final 4," said Galanza after the game.
Eli Soyud had 11 points, and Joy Dacoron contributed 10 markers for the Lady
Falcons, who had a whopping 62 attack points in the contest.
The Lady Warriors managed to stay in the game, thanks in part to Adamson's 35
unforced errors. The Lady Warriors struggled with their own offense and converted
only 39 of 222 spikes.
Mendrez finished with 17 points, and Adorador fired 12 for UE. Arado, despite
playing the final three sets on a bum right ankle, still finished with 32 digs and 23
excellent receptions in another heroic performance for the Lady Warriors.
UE saw its two-game winning streak snapped and the Lady Warriors dropped to 2-7
in the tournament.

UAAP volleyball: La Salle sends NU packing, sets up finals showdown with

FEU
De La Salle University advanced to the UAAP women's volleyball finals for the 10th
season in a row after dismissing National University (NU) in their Season 80 Final 4
showdown on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Lady Spikers rode the momentum of a come-from-behind win in the opening set
to claim a 27-25, 25-22, 25-11 triumph over the Lady Bulldogs.
With the victory, they forged a best-of-3 showdown for the Season 80 crown against
Far Eastern University (FEU). The Lady Spikers are eyeing their 11th crown overall,
and third "three-peat" in 14 years.
It will also be a rematch of the Season 71 finals, which the Lady Spikers won in three
games over the Lady Tamaraws.
Kianna Dy paced La Salle with 17 points, Tin Tiamzon added 11 markers, and ace
libero Dawn Macandili was superb all game long with 23 digs and 10 excellent
receptions.
"Na-develop na talaga 'yung character and maturity ng mga players," said La Salle
coach Ramil de Jesus. "May mga times na may struggle, pero eventually na-
overcome nila."
La Salle set the tone with their rally in the opening frame, which saw them trail by as
much as five points, 7-12. They were still down by four, 14-18, off a kill by Jaja
Santiago when Dy took over for the Lady Spikers.
The graduating utility spiker scored four straight points, the last of which was a kill
block on Audrey Paran that tied the set at 18. A net violation called on Aduke
Ogunsanya gave NU back the lead, 19-18, but Dy scored again to knot the frame.
It was back-and-forth from there on, before a mishit by Desiree Cheng gave NU a
slim two-point cushion. She was quick to make up for it, however, scoring in the next
rally before La Salle skipper Majoy Baron came up with a huge block on Jorelle
Singh to make it 23-all.
A backrow kill by Jaja Santiago put NU at set point, 24-23, but unheralded reserve
Arianne Layug scored off a smart push to again tie the frame. Another kill by Dy
made it 25-24 for La Salle, but Baron was called for a net violation after attempting to
block an attempt by Santiago to again make it a tied game, 25-all.
But the Lady Spikers proved to be the more composed team in crunch time, as
Baron uncorked a quick kill, and Cheng fired an ace to complete La Salle's come-
from-behind win.
"Sabi ko sa mga players ko, huwag nating bigyan ng chance na makakuha ng
kumpyansa ang NU," said de Jesus. "Kasi pag nakuha nila ang first set, mahirap ang
pagdadaanan natin."
"Medyo malayo nga 'yung first set. Ginapang lang ng team hanggang sa abutan nila
ng end game. After noon, bumitaw-bitaw na 'yung NU," he added.
The Lady Spikers again displayed their poise in Set 2, when they fended off a last-
ditch rally by the Lady Bulldogs for a 2-0 lead. La Salle was up 23-19 off a crosscourt
kill by Dy, before NU fired three straight points to come to within one. But May Luna
– another reserve – scored a clutch hit, and Tin Tiamzon rejected Santiago at the net
to secure the win.
It was all La Salle in the third set, as a demoralized NU squad succumbed to errors.
The final rally of the game symbolized the Lady Bulldogs' woes, as Paran sent her
attack straight to the tape of net, while Santiago watched from the bench.
Santiago scored 17 points in the final game of her UAAP career, but no other Lady
Bulldog contributed double digits. It was another disappointing finish for NU, which
opened the season with a 6-1 win-loss record but fell apart in the second round.

UAAP: FEU dismisses Ateneo for first finals appearance since Season 71
For the first time since Season 71, the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws will
play in the Finals of the UAAP women's volleyball tournament.
And they did it by dismissing the Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles, who
were aiming for a seventh consecutive Finals appearance, in front of a crowd of
nearly 14,000 at the Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday.
The Lady Tamaraws showcased remarkable net defense and tireless floor defense
en route to a 25-20, 25-21, 14-25, 25-19 victory over the Lady Eagles, ending a nine-
year Finals drought for the Morayta spikers.
The last time that the Lady Tamaraws reached the Finals, they were still bannered
by the likes of Rachel Anne Daquis, Maica Morada, and setter Wendy Semana.
Meanwhile, Ateneo failed to reach the Finals for the first time since Season 74; this
is also the first time in the Tai Bundit era that they will not play for the championship.
"Pinaghirapan namin 'yun, pinlano namin talaga, nag-usap-usap kaming mga
players, ang dami naming sinakripisyo para makarating dito," said FEU coach
George Pascua, who brought the Lady Tamaraws to the Finals in his first season in
charge.
MVP candidate Bernadeth Pons was once again superb for the Lady Tamaraws,
firing 17 points while also tallying 19 excellent receptions and 16 digs. Toni Rose
Basas had one of her best games of the season, scoring 17 markers on 12 kills, two
blocks, and three aces.
The Lady Tamaraws surged to a 2-0 set lead, with Pons scoring the crucial kills in
the second set to fend off the Lady Eagles' rally.
But FEU fell apart in the third frame, committing a whopping 14 errors that allowed
Ateneo to claim a comfortable 25-14 win and extend the match.
Unfortunately for Ateneo, they were unable to ride their momentum in the fourth set.
After taking an 11-9 lead off a net violation by Pons, they gave up six straight points
– two of which came on kill blocks by Jeanette Villareal.
Now brimming with confidence, the Lady Tamaraws would go on to lead, 24-16,
thanks to a hit by Pons. Ateneo managed to save three match points, thanks to a kill
and an ace by Kat Tolentino, and a block by Maddie Madayag on Heather Guino-o.
But FEU would not be denied. Kyle Negrito capped a strong performance by
rejecting Jhoana Maraguinot at the net, sending the Lady Tamaraws' fans into a
frenzied celebration.
The Lady Tamaraws will play either National University or defending champion De
La Salle University in the best-of-3 Finals.
Tolentino and Maraguinot each scored 11 points for the Lady Eagles. But FEU
outplayed them in virtually every category, with the Lady Tamaraws having more kills
(40-35), blocks (13-6), and aces (10-3). Ateneo stayed in the game thanks in part to
FEU's 41 unforced errors.

UAAP volleyball: FEU beats NU, finishes as second seed

The Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws on Sunday took care of business
by dismissing National University (NU) in four sets at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Lady Tamaraws displayed their poise in crunch time to turn back the Lady
Bulldogs, 25-21, 25-22, 16-25, 25-20, and finish with a 10-4 win-loss record in the
elimination round of the UAAP Season 80 women's volleyball tournament.
Defending champion De La Salle University beat Ateneo de Manila University later in
the day, handing the Lady Tamaraws the second seed and a twice-to-beat
advantage in the Final 4.
Regardless of the result of the La Salle-Ateneo game, however, the Lady Tamaraws
said they were ready for whatever happened.
"Sabi ko nga so far, 50-50 tayo sa twice-to-beat, depende sa mangyayari. Ngayon,
kung manalo si Ateneo, andoon pa rin 'yung mindset nila kasi sinabi ko na sa kanila
'yung mga scenario na possible na mangyari, kung manalo si Ateneo, kung matalo
kami," said FEU coach George Pascua after their game.
"So ready na 'yung mindset nila. Any situation naman, ready naman kami anytime,"
he added.
The Lady Bulldogs, meanwhile, finished with a 7-7 win-loss record. They formally
clinched the fourth seed on Sunday, but the loss marked a stunning turnaround for
NU. After winning six of their first seven games, they went on to win just once the
rest of the way.
Skipper Bernadeth Pons shone once more for the Lady Tamaraws with 17 points
and 16 receptions. Cel Domingo finished with 12 points, including three blocks.
The Lady Tamaraws rallied from slim deficits in each of the first two frames, with
players like Heather Guino-o and Pons coming up with the key hits to bring FEU
back in the game.
Ultimately, however, NU shot itself in the foot. In the first set, it was a service error by
Audrey Paran that won it for FEU; in the second set, it was Roma Doromal's turn to
commit the service error to gift the victory for the Lady Tamaraws.
NU stayed alive by winning the third frame, with Jaja Santiago proving unstoppable
on offense while also leading the way defensively at the net.
They carried that momentum in the fourth set, when they went toe-to-toe with the
Lady Tamaraws and trailed by just one point, 19-20, after a net touch called on the
Lady Tamaraws.
But FEU went on to win five of the last six points of the game. Guino-o came through
with back-to-back kills and the ace that put the Lady Tamaraws at match point, 24-
20, before Pons finished off the Lady Bulldogs with a smartly placed push.
Santiago finished with 21 points on 15 kills and six blocks, but her efforts were not
enough to lead NU to a victory. The Lady Bulldogs will play La Salle in the Final 4,
with the Lady Spikers having a twice-to-beat edge.
UAAP volleyball: La Salle repeats over Ateneo, sends Lady Eagles to third
seed
Defending champion De La Salle University flexed its muscle on Sunday to sweep
archrival Ateneo de Manila University, and end the elimination round of UAAP
Season 80 on a high note at the Mall of Asia Arena.
In front of a jampacked crowd of over 23,000 fans, the Lady Spikers seized the
momentum after a thrilling opening set to secure a 26-24, 25-17, 25-19 triumph.
This marks the first time since Season 76 that La Salle swept the elimination round
series against Ateneo. Incidentally, that was also the last season that the Lady
Spikers finished as the No. 1 seed in the Final 4.
La Salle has now won eight straight matches, including a seven-game sweep of the
second round. The Lady Spikers finished with a 12-2 win-loss record.
"We're treating every game like it's our last," said La Salle star Kianna Dy, who had
13 points to lead her team. "Siyempre, all out na kami. It's now or never every
game."
"Ayaw naming pumasok ng semis na talo kami," added skipper Majoy Baron, who
scored four of her nine points on kill blocks.
With the result, the Lady Eagles finished the elimination round with a 9-5 win-loss
record. They settled for the No. 3 seed, and will face the second-seeded Far Eastern
University Lady Tamaraws in the Final 4. This is the first time since Season 76 that
Ateneo will not have a twice-to-beat edge in the semis.
Desiree Cheng added 12 points, and Tin Tiamzon contributed 11 markers for the
Lady Spikers, who finished off their rivals in just an hour and 23 minutes.
La Salle was headed for a comfortable win in the opener after surging ahead, 24-20,
off an ace by setter Michelle Cobb. But the Lady Eagles showed some grit, as
Jhoana Maraguinot sparked a 4-0 blast with a down-the-line kill. Maraguinot capped
the run herself, firing an ace to force a 24-all deadlock.
But it was also Maraguinot who handed La Salle its second set point, when her next
serve went way long. The Lady Spikers made most of their second chance with
Baron burying a massive kill to wrap up the first frame.
Riding the momentum of their win in the opening set, La Salle cruised to victory in
the second frame. They trailed briefly in the third set, as Ateneo raced out to a 12-8
lead, but they quickly regained control, thanks to the hits of Dy and Cheng.
Back-to-back kills by back-up middle blocker Julia Ipac gave the Lady Spikers a 16-
15 lead, and they never trailed again as Ateneo ran out of steam.
"No bearing 'yung game (para sa amin), pero gusto lang namin mag-laro ng tama,"
said Baron after the contest.
The Lady Spikers peppered the Ateneo defense with 42 kills, while also coming up
with nine kill blocks. The Lady Eagles received much better this time around, giving
up only five aces to La Salle. However, they were unable to get going on offense and
managed only 30 attack points.
Kat Tolentino was the lone bright spot for Ateneo with 15 points. Their leading scorer
in the season, Maraguinot, was limited to six and found herself repeatedly stifled by
La Salle's net defense, while also getting targeted by the Lady Spikers on their
serve.
La Salle will play fourth-seeded National University in the Final 4 on Sunday. FEU
will battle Ateneo on Saturday. Both matches will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena.

La Salle outplays Ateneo for share of 2nd seed

Amid the ballyhoo surrounding the finals rematch, De La Salle continued its mastery
over Ateneo with a 25-20, 25-17, 24-26, 25-20 win Saturday in their first meeting this
the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament at Mall of Asia Arena.
The defending champions bounced back from their shock loss to Adamson and
ended the first round on a high note, tied Far Eastern U at the second spot with a 5-2
record, while the Lady Eagles had their streak snapped and settled for third with a 4-
3 card.
La Salle almost let go of a six-point lead late in the fourth period after Ateneo
captain Maddie Madayag cut the margin to two, 21-19 off a dump that landed in front
of the Lady Spikers’ defensive line.
The Lady Spikers, though, hung on when Tiamzon dumped the ball for La Salle’s 23-
19 lead then Kianna Dy followed it up a solid block on Kat Tolentino to put the
defending champions at the 24-19 match point.
After Desiree Cheng sent the ball too far in her service, 24-20, Jules Samonte
ironically followed it up with her own service error that awarded the victory to the
Lady Spikers.
La Salle’s victory, however, could’ve happened as early as the third set when it came
back from a 21-11 hole and took a 24-22 lead.
Madayag and Tolentino, however, gutted it out for Ateneo to force the fourth set.
After he called his team a “barangay level club,” La Salle head coach Ramil De
Jesus commended how his players put up a fight befit of a defending champion.
“The determination to win is at the UAAP level but their play was like a roller coaster
because they will get the lead but they will throw it away, or when they were down
big they will come back,” said De Jesus. “They lack the end game finishing
capability.”
Dy finished with a game-high 21 points to lead La Salle while Tin Tiamzon added 13.
Desiree Cheng pitched in 11 points for the Lady Spikers while Mary Joy Baron and
Aduke Ogunsanya had 10 points apiece for La salle’s cause.
Amid the ballyhoo surrounding the finals rematch, De La Salle continued its mastery
over Ateneo with a 25-20, 25-17, 24-26, 25-20 win Saturday in their first meeting this
the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament at Mall of Asia Arena.
The defending champions bounced back from their shock loss to Adamson and
ended the first round on a high note, tied Far Eastern U at the second spot with a 5-2
record, while the Lady Eagles had their streak snapped and settled for third with a 4-
3 card.
La Salle almost let go of a six-point lead late in the fourth period after Ateneo
captain Maddie Madayag cut the margin to two, 21-19 off a dump that landed in front
of the Lady Spikers’ defensive line.
The Lady Spikers, though, hung on when Tiamzon dumped the ball for La Salle’s 23-
19 lead then Kianna Dy followed it up a solid block on Kat Tolentino to put the
defending champions at the 24-19 match point.
After Desiree Cheng sent the ball too far in her service, 24-20, Jules Samonte
ironically followed it up with her own service error that awarded the victory to the
Lady Spikers.
La Salle’s victory, however, could’ve happened as early as the third set when it came
back from a 21-11 hole and took a 24-22 lead.
Madayag and Tolentino, however, gutted it out for Ateneo to force the fourth set.
After he called his team a “barangay level club,” La Salle head coach Ramil De
Jesus commended how his players put up a fight befit of a defending champion.
“The determination to win is at the UAAP level but their play was like a roller coaster
because they will get the lead but they will throw it away, or when they were down
big they will come back,” said De Jesus. “They lack the end game finishing
capability.”
Dy finished with a game-high 21 points to lead La Salle while Tin Tiamzon added 13.
Desiree Cheng pitched in 11 points for the Lady Spikers while Mary Joy Baron and
Aduke Ogunsanya had 10 points apiece for La salle’s cause.
Jhoanna Maraguinot had 13 points for Ateneo while Tolentino added 11.

NU stays undefeated, sends Ateneo to 0-2 start

National University came through in the clutch to take down Ateneo, 25-19, 25-19,
20-25, 12-25, 15-7, and score its second straight win in the UAAP Season 80
women’s volleyball tournament Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Lady Bulldogs raced to the top of the standings with a 2-0 record while the Lady
Eagles slipped to 0-2, their worst start since Season 73 when they began 1-1.
After letting the Lady Eagles swoop down on them in the fourth set, the Lady
Bulldogs went into the offensive in the fifth and deciding set.
NU capitalized on Kat Tolentino’s error late in the fifth set to take an 11-7 lead before
Audrey Paran scored a block for the Lady Bulldogs’ 12-7 lead.
Then it was up to Jasmine Nabor to knock the Lady Eagles out cold scoring three
straight service aces with the last one landing square in the middle of Ateneo’s
defense to end the match for NU.
NU head coach Babes Castillo said they had a momentarily lapse in communication
in the third and fourth sets and that allowed Ateneo to force a fifth one, but he
immediately reminded his team the three components that allowed the Lady
Bulldogs to start with a two-set lead.
“First we need our deserved respect, and by that we should work hard for each of
our point,” said Castillo in Filipino. “Second is ‘whistle to whistle’ that whatever
happens, if the opponent or us scores, we will give it all.”
“Lastly was our communication.”
Castillo said Nabor had a hard time conveying plays to her teammates, be it the
noise of the crowd or the pressure of the situation.
“Jasmine had a hard time communicating with her teammates when she was giving
out instructions, but they quickly fixed it.”
Jaja Santiago asserted her dominance over Ateneo with a game-high 26 points while
Nabor had 11 points and 29 excellent sets.
Jhoanna Maraguinot led Ateneo with 16 points while Tolentino and Ponggay Gaston
added 12 and 10 points, respectively.

La Salle bests NU for share of top spot

Defending champion De La Salle avenged its first round loss and wore down
National University, 27-25, 27-25, 25-16 in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball
tournament Saturday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Lady Spikers dragged the Lady Bulldogs to a tie at the first place with identical
6-2 records.
Despite slugging it out in the first two sets, even coming back from a 17-10 deficit in
the second, the Lady Spikers had an easier route in the third set.
Desiree Cheng was the first to give La Salle a large margin when she hit her spike
off Risa Sato’s block for the Lady Spikers’ 12-6 lead.
Kianna Dy and Arriane Layug then exchanged hits to put La Salle up 22-13.
La Salle head coach Ramil De Jesus, who rarely praises his players, had to tip his
hat off to his team for showing the resiliency in the first two sets and the dominance
come the third.
“In the first two sets they looked sluggish but I slowly saw them relax a bit and in the
third they finally let it loose,” said De Jesus in Filipino. “And this was the first time
that we were up two sets and we were the aggressors in the third.”
“I’m happy with how they turned up in the third.”
Jaja Santiago’s ace managed to trim La Salle’s lead to six, 22-16, but Tin Tiamzon
was quick to respond with an off-the-block kill for the Lady Spikers’ 23-16 lead.
Layug then finished off NU when her crosscourt kill bounced off Jasmine Nabor’s
reception.
Dy had 14 points to lead all scorers while Cheng and reigning MVP Mary Joy Baron
13 and 11 points, respectively.
Santiago had 13 points to lead the Lady Bulldogs.

Ateneo stays hot, survives Adamson in thriller

As the race for the Final Four gets tougher, Ateneo held on to the second spot after
surviving Adamson University in a thriller, 24-26, 25-19, 21-25, 26-24, 15-12 in the
UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament Sunday at Smart Araneta
Coliseum.
The Lady Eagles streaked to their fourth straight win for an 8-3 record and foilied the
Lady Falcons’ bid to force a tie with National U, which lost in the opening game, at
the fourth spot. Adamson slid to 5-6, still a game behind.
On the brink of defeat, Ateneo came back from seven points down, 22-15, in the
fourth set and frustrated Adamson, which is in a crucial run for a Final Four berth, to
force the decider.
“Every time coach Tai [Bundit] calls a timeout, he just tells us to be happy and we
need to play happy because if we don’t we’re going to lose for sure,” said captain
Maddie Madayag in Filipino.
“If we’re not enjoying the game, it’s like we’re playing for nothing and I guess we got
our composure back after all the errors and all the miscommunication.”
The Lady Eagles continued cranking up the ante in the fifth set stopping the Lady
Falcons late in the period.
Ateneo saw its 11-6 lead dissipate and turn into an 11-11 tie, but the Lady Eagles
were quick to get back on track with Jhoana Maraguinot scoring on a crosscourt kill
for the 14-12 lead.
Kat Tolentino then met Mylene Paat up top for an emphatic block to clinch at least a
playoff for the last spot in the Final Four.
Maraguinot finished with a game-high 23 points to lead the Lady Eagles while
Tolentino finished with 17 points.
Jules Samonte and Bea De Leon also finished in double digits with 12 and 11 points,
respectively.
Jema Galanza had 23 points to lead the Lady Falcons while Paat added 17 points.
La Salle back on winning track, hammers UE
After having its winning run snapped, De La Salle vented its frustrations on woeful
University of the East, 25-18,25-17, 25-20, in the UAAP Season 80 women’s
volleyball tournament Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Lady Spikers lost to National University in five sets last Sunday, but have
returned to form to improve to 4-1 while the Lady Warriors are still seeking for their
first win in five games.
La Salle had a comfortable 23-17 lead after UE committed two straight errors, but
the Lady Warriors were able to trim the lead down to four, 23-19, after a miscue on
the Lady Spikers’ side as Arianne Layug hit the net.
Desiree Cheng eventually finished things off for the defending champions and
scored the Lady Spikers’ two final points, an off-the-block kill and a crosscourt hit
that landed on the bottom-right corner of UE’s side of the floor.
Although La Salle was able to trump UE in just three sets, head coach Ramil De
Jesus wanted more from his team.
“The result is important but as for the performance, I’m quite dissatisfied because I
couldn’t see the aggressiveness on the court,” said De Jesus in Filipino. “When they
saw that we had a bid lead and the win was within reach they became quite
complacent.”
Cheng and reigning MVP Mary Joy Baron had 13 points apiece to lead the Lady
Spikers while Aduke Ogunsanya added 12.
Mary Ann Mendrez led UE with 12 points with Shaya Adorador pitching in 11.

Ateneo recovers, stops FEU’s winning run

Ateneo started its second round campaign on a high note as it stopped Far Eastern
University in its tracks, 25-19, 25-21, 25-17, in the UAAP Season 80 women’s
volleyball tournament Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Lady Eagles recovered from their four-set loss to De La Salle at the end of the
first round and have won five of their last six games to hike their record to 5-3, the
same record as the Lady Tamaraws.
Ateneo was firmly in control of the Lady Tamaraws in the third set holding fort
throughout the majority of the match.
After an 18-14 lead, the Lady Eagles allowed just three more points on the side of
the Lady Tamaraws with Jhoanna Maraguinot eventually finishing off FEU with two
straight kills.
Captain Maddie Madayag said their win over FEU was a big morale-booster for them
after they saw their then four-game winning streak get snapped at the hands of the
Lady Spikers.
“This is really a big plus to our confidence and our training really paid off because we
showed how we really play,” said Madayag in Filipino. “”We just wanted to do what
we normally do in training and this game really boosted our confidence.”
It also helped that head coach Tai Bundit was back with the team after he went to
Thailand the previous week and that Ponggay Gaston was inserted as one of the
team’s libero beside Ria Lo.
“Ponggay as a libero was a big factor because she has those strong arms and she
can receive well,” said Madayag. “And coach Tai lifts your spirits up because you
can see him cheering you on.”
Maraguinot paced Ateneo’s offense with 15 points while Kat Tolentino added 11.
Toni Rose Basas led FEU’s charge with 10 points as Bernadeth Pons, the fourth-
leading scorer of the tournament with 16 points a game, got limited to a season-low
five points.

Adamson trumps UP for 2nd straight win

Adamson wasted no time and handed University of the Philippines its second
straight loss, 25-9, 27-25, 25-20, victory in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball
tournament Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Lady Falcons soared to their second straight win for a 2-1 card, already
eclipsing their one-win total from Season 79, while the Lady Maroons slipped to their
second straight loss and a 1-2 record.
With the Lady Falcons leading two sets to none and 23-18 in the third, Diana Carlos
managed to score two straight points to cut the margin to three, 23-20, and give UP
a semblance of fight.
Carlos’ back-to-back hits prompted Adamson head coach Air Padda to call time, and
Jema Galanza calmed her mentor down with a pinpoint kill that went through UP’s
defense and put the Lady Falcons at the 24-20 match point.
UP’s Marian Buitre then gave Adamson the win when she failed to get the ball over
from her side of the floor.
“It feels good, because last year was really tough for us and only winning one game
it was hard so getting our second win, we’ve already our record and it feels good,”
said Padda. “It shows that there’s been growth in the program and our team is not a
pushover from last year.”
Although the Lady Maroons managed to go hit-for-hit with the Lady Falcons in the
second and third sets, the same can’t be said for the opening set when Adamson
looked flawless.
Adamson tallied eight service aces in the first set alone, and that mark was two more
than UP scored in spikes.
“That first set really hurt UP and our passing was really good,” said Padda as her
team finished with 17 aces. “I’m surprised we got 17 aces, our team’s growing. And if
we had to define us, I won’t define us as a strong serving team, we’re a strong
defensive team.”
Adamson outgunned UP, 40-26, in terms of spikes and was ahead 53-39 in excellent
digs.
Mylene Paat led Adamson with 15 points, eight coming off aces, while Galanza
added 14.
Mary Joy Dacoron and Chiara Permentilla also finished in double figures with 11 and
10 points, respectively.
Carlos led UP with 12 points while Isa Molde added seven.

FEU holds off UP, joins Ateneo at fourth

Far Eastern University snagged a spot in the top four early after fending off
University of the Philippines, 25-23, 25-12, 25-19, in the UAAP Season 80 women’s
volleyball tournament Saturday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Lady Tamaraws steadied their record to 2-2 and joined Ateneo at no. 4 while the
Lady Maroons dropped their third straight game and are now at seventh with a 1-3
card.
From a 9-9 deadlock in the third set, FEU ramped up the ante and went on a 7-0 run
that UP ironically capped off with an error as the Lady Tamaraws took a 16-9 lead.
Although UP managed to cut the deficit to 22-19, Celine Domingo came up big in the
clutch and blocked Diana Carlos for FEU’s 24-19 lead before Jeanette Villareal
ended the Lady Maroons with a service ace.
“We somehow managed to find a way to redeem ourselves because if we lose three
straight it will be hard for us to come back,” said FEU head coach George Pascua in
Filipino.
“This is a big morale-booster for us because this got the players to get their
confidence back.”
FEU’s surge, however, didn’t start in the third nor second set but in the very first
period when the Lady Tamaraws were down 23-19.
The Lady Tamaraws used a 6-0 run to close out the first set, the only time this
season that they took the opening period.
Heather Guino-o led FEU with 11 points while Toni Rose Basas and Bernadeth Pons
had 10 and nine points, respectively.
Carlos had 15 points to lead the Lady Maroons’ charge.

UST exploits skidding NU, keeps Final Four hopes alive

University of Santo Tomas continued its hunt for a Final Four spot after pouncing on
struggling National University, 22-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-9, Sunday in the UAAP
Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament.
After recovering from a slow start, Sisi Rondina and the Tigresses simply took the air
out of Jaja Santiago and the Bulldogs in the fourth set and completed the revenge of
their first round loss.
The Golden Tigresses have won two straight, their first time to win consecutive
games this season, to improve to 4-7 and maintain their hold of the sixth place.
Despite the four straight setbacks, the Lady Bulldogs are still at the fourth spot at 6-
5 but are now just half-a-game ahead of fifth-seed Adamson that holds a 5-5 card.
UST took advantage of Santiago’s absence early in the fourth set and went on a 15-
3 run to carve a 19-7 lead.
And in the middle of the run was the scoring partnership of Rondina and Alessandrini
whom the Lady Bulldogs had no answer to.
Rondina first scored on a crosscourt kill for UST’s 10-5 lead and the Tigresses never
let up their assault especially with the return of Santiago in the rotation.
Alessandrini scored on her own crosscourt kill for the 17-7 lead before scoring once
more, this time on a soft off-the-block kill to make it a 12-point margin.
“The respect we have for ourselves is back, this time the results are getting better
and all this hard work is finally paying off,” said UST head coach Kung Fu Reyes.
“We can’t go back to the past so we will strive harder in our next three games. These
players know they’re capable of getting back on track.”
Rondina, who put up 25 points, scored on an off-the-block kill for UST’s 23-9 lead
before Alessandrini blocked Santiago for the 24-9 match point.
Alessandrini was everywhere for UST with 19 points that came off 11 spikes, five
blocks, and three aces.
Santiago finished with a game-high 27 points to lead the Lady Bulldogs, who have
yet to win in the second round.
FEU pushes UST to brink of elimination with 3-set win
Far Eastern University is one step closer to trimming down the Final Four hopefuls
after trouncing University of Santo Tomas, 25-21, 25-21, 25-23, in the UAAP Season
80 women’s volleyball tournament Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Lady Tamaraws, who took the third spot with a 6-3 record, sent the Golden
Tigresses to their fifth straight loss and a 2-7 record.
UST is now on the edge of elimination and one more loss will send the Golden
Tigresses out of the Final Four race.
From a 21-17 deficit, UST managed to claw back and tied the third set at 23-all after
Cherry Rondina’s heroics.
That, however, was UST’s final stand as FEU retaliated down in the clutch with Pons
hitting an off-the-block kill for the Lady Tamaraws’ 24-23 lead.
FEU head coach George Pascua knew their service game was their biggest edge
over UST and he made sure his Lady Tamaraws followed that instruction to the dot.
UST is no. 6 in the standing in terms of efficiency rate in receptions at a dismal 22.26
percent, and FEU took advantage of that scoring 19 service aces.
“We knew that their reception wasn’t that great, that was our observation,” said
Pascua in Filipino. “I reminded them that when we beat them in the first round we
had a lot of service aces.”
FEU had 12 service aces against UST in its three-set win in the first round.
And as if fate would have it, FEU’s final point of the match turned out to be a service
ace when UST’s defense failed to return Czarina Grace Carandang’s service.
Bernadeth Pons had 15 points to lead FEU while Toni Rose Basas and Heather
Guino-o had 10 and nine points, respectively.

Cherry Rondina finished with 11 points for the Golden Tigresses.

Adamson upsets FEU for first win

Adamson pulled off a thrilling stunner over Far Eastern University, 25-23, 19-25, 25-
22, 21-25, 15-12, for its first win in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball
tournament Saturday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Lady Falcons, who experienced a 13-game skid in Season 79 before winning
their final game in the preliminaries, are now tied with the Lady Tamaraws with a 1-1
record.
After Jema Galanza put Adamson at match point, 14-10 bubble with a two-handed
dump, the Lady Tamaraws were able to close in after an error from the Lady
Tamaraws and a point from Bernadeth Pons , 14-12.
After Adamson head coach Air Padda called time to calm her team’s nerves,
Galanza then dealt the final blow straight to the open spot in FEU’s defense.
Padda said the win against the Lady Tamaraws is crucial as the early victory will be
key in building their confidence for the rest of the tournament.
“The coaches knew we needed this first win, this will be our confidence booster,”
said Padda. “We were pretty evenly matched with FEU, and our game plan is
centered around [Bernadeth] Pons because she’s one of the deadliest in the UAAP.”
Padda’s scheme saw Pons put up 22 points but FEU’s captain labored for that mark
as she converted just 21 of her 65 spike attempts.
“Kudos to FEU down the stretch, we just beat them in a couple of areas.”
Galanza led all sorers with 26 points for Adamson while Mylene Paat and Joy
Dacoron combined for 25 points.
Chiara Permentilla also finished in double figures for the Lady Falcons with 11
points.
Toni Rose Basas had 18 points to complement Pons’ scoring for the Lady
Tamaraws.

UE pulls off another stunner, keeps UST skidding

University of the East pulled off another upset when it dismantled University of Santo
Tomas, 25-23, 18-25, 28-25, 26-24, for its second straight win in the UAAP Season
80 women’s volleyball tournament Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Lady Warriors notched their second win this season, already matching their
combined win total from Seasons 78 and 78, against six losses and sent the Golden
Tigresses to their fourth straight loss.
UE’s win marked the first time in school history that the Lady Warriors defeated UST
in the Final Four era that began in the 1993-1994 academic year, and also the first
time since 2012 that the Lady Warriors won two straight games.
“No words can express how happy I am right now,” said UE interim coach and
athletic director Rod Roque.
From a 24-22 deficit in the fourth set, the Lady Warriors fought their way back and
tied at 24-all when Shaya Adorador converted with a crosscourt kill.
Cecilia Bangad then put too much on her hit as it crossed the sideline and gave UE
the 25-24 lead before another error on UST’s part gave the Lady Warriors the
victory.
Roque added UE capitalized on the Golden Tigresses’ lackadaisical attitude to score
the win.
“They underestimated us and that was a big factor, they thought the Lady Warriors
wouldn’t put up a fight,” said Roque in Filipino. “We scouted the video, how UST’s
players position themselves and we studied that and the players exchanged ideas.”
It wasn’t just in the fourth set that UST collapsed after scoring the 24th point.
The Golden Tigresses led 24-20 in the third but ultimately allowed the Lady Warriors
to outscore them 8-2 to end the set at 28-26.
Mary Ann Mendrez led UE with 21 points while Adorador and Judith Abil had 15 and
10 points, apiece.
Cherry Rondina had 25 points to lead UST while Dimdim Pacres and Tin Francisco
combined for 28 points.
UP outlasts Adamson in thriller to start 2nd round push
University of the Philippines set out for its second round campaign on a positive strut
after withstanding Adamson, 25-18, 14-25, 25-19, 21-25-16-14, in the UAAP Season
80 women’s volleyball tournament Saturday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Lady Maroons have now won two of their last three games and moved up to 3-5
while the Lady Falcons dropped to the same record after two straight setbacks since
their upset of La Salle.
The two sides played in an intense toe-to-toe battle from the get-go until the decisive
set where Adamson even managed to take the match point, 14-13, on a point from
Mylene Paat
But Diana Carlos came up in the clutch for the Lady Maroons, scoring two straight
points to give the Lady Maroons a 15-14 lead before Ayel Estrañero finished off the
Lady Falcons with an off speed kill that Jema Galanza couldn’t get a hold of.
Lady Maroons head coach Godfrey Okumu said their win all boiled down to the
winners’ mentality and desire to avenge their first round loss to the Lady Falcons.
“As we were fighting we didn’t want to lose against the same team twice,” said
Okumu, whose Lady Maroons lost in straight sets against Adamson in the first round.
Okumu added that he is aware that they could not afford to let one game slip away at
this point in the tournament.
“We just have to win every game… the teams we will play against are very good
teams and we have to keep fighting.”
Carlos finished with a game-high 22 points while spike partner Isa Molde had 18
points with Marian Buitre pitching in 12.
Galanza led Adamson with 19 points while Chiara Permentilla and Paat had 17 and
14 points, respectively.

FEU bolsters bid for twice-to-beat after rout of UE

Far Eastern University moved closer to a twice-to-beat advantage after easily
dispatching also-ran University of the East, 25- 17, 25-15, 25-20, in the UAAP
Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Lady Tamaraws improved to a 9-4 record, tied with Ateneo at the second spot of
the standings, and are assured of at least a playoff with the Lady Eagles for the no. 2
seed in case they end the eliminations with the same win-loss cards.
Despite leading 8-0 at the start of the set, the Lady Tamaraws had a hard time
knocking out the Lady Warriors as the girls in red-and-white slowly chipped away at
the lead and drew closer at 12-9.
FEU held a 24-18 lead but the Lady Warriors managed to score twice more with
Laizah Ann Bendong scoring on a drop ball to make it 24-20.
Jerrili Malabanan, however, has had enough of UE’s persistence and finished off the
Lady Warriors with an off-the-block kill.
With his team on the verge capturing a twice-to-beat advantage, FEU head coach
George Pascua said he wants his team to maintain their pace as they head on to
face National University for the Lady Tamaraws’ final elimination game.
“The objective is to get that twice-to-beat advantage and I told them once we play
well we can get one of the top two spots,” said Pascua whose team won its third
straight game. “Basically speaking, the twice-to-beat advantage will be our gift to
ourselves for playing well.”
Celine Domingo led all scorers with 16 points for FEU while Bernadeth Pons and
Jeanette Villareal added 13 points apiece.
Mary Ann Mendrez and Shaya Adorador both had 11 points to lead the 2-11 Lady
Warriors.

Ateneo still on a roll, survives Adamson in 5 sets

Ateneo continued its steady climb after overcoming Adamson University, 25-18, 14-
25, 25-18, 15-25, 15-10, in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament
Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Lady Eagles streaked to their third straight win for the sole possession of the
third seed with a 3-2 record, half-a-game ahead of University of Santo Tomas and
Far Eastern University.
The Lady Falcons have now lost two straight and dropped to sixth with a 2-3 card.
Although Ateneo failed to gain momentum midway through the fifth set, its two
leaders came up big in the clutch.
Kat Tolentino scored two straight points, first a kill then a block on Eli Soyud, to give
the Lady Eagles a 14-10 lead right before captain Maddie Madayag denied Chiara
Permentilla for the match’s final point.
This was the first time Ateneo’s played in a match that reached five sets this season.
“I think we really showed that we are capable of outing up a fight, compared to the
other games we played,” said Madayag in Filipino. “The scores were really close and
the young players really stepped up today.”
“We’re slowly improving and slowly getting our game back.”
Right before Madayag and Tolentino did their damage, it was sophomore Jules
Samonte who carried Ateneo.
Samonte first punished Adamson skipper Jema Galanza with a through-the-block kill
for Ateneo’s 11-8 lead in the deciding set then followed it up with another kill this
time on Lea Perez for the 12-9 margin.
Jhoana Maraguinot paced Ateneo with 15 points while Madayag and Samonte
added 14 points apiece.
Tolentino also finished in double digits for the Lady Eagles with 10 points.
Soyud had 19 points to lead Adamson while Jema Galanza added 12 points.

Ateneo wins 2nd straight, sends UE to 0-4 start

Ateneo has started to gain stability after winning its second straight game at the
expense of University of the East, 21-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-14, in the UAAP Season
80 women’s volleyball tournament Saturday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
After losing their first two assignments, the Lady Eagles have improved to 2-2 for the
fourth spot while the Lady Warriors remained in search of their first victory and
reeled to 0-4.
The Lady Eagles used a 12-4 run in the fourth set that Ponggay Gaston finished with
a down-the-line kill to give Ateneo a 16-8 lead and effectively fend off UE.
Despite the win, captain Maddie Madayag said the first set was such of a
disappointment for them that they forgot to play with happiness.
“They were really tense inside the floor earlier and I don’t think they knew what to
do,” said Madayag in Filipino. “They don’t have the focus to play and everybody was
like ‘oh my God.’ They weren’t happy at all.”
“They just have to enjoy the game because I know that if we’re happy we can beat
anybody.”
Jhoanna Maraguinot led Ateneo with 20 points while Madayag had 12.
Shaya Adorador had 14 points to lead the Lady Warriors while Mary Ann Mendrez
added 12.

Shaky start brings out best in Lady Spikers

It was a perfect ending to an imperfect start.

Adjusting to life without top setter and influential captain Kim Fajardo, the La Salle
Lady Spikers actually touched off the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball wars as a
mere mortal, bowing to hot-starting National U in five sets and getting the upset axe
from Adamson early on.

The setback to the Lady Falcons, which happened for the first time in 10 years, even
led to coach Ramil de Jesus calling his charges’ performance as “pang-barangay.”

Awakened, the Lady Spikers bounced back strong and won their next 11 games,
putting the icing on the three-peat cake with a 26-24, 25-20, 26-20 dispatching of Far
Eastern U in Game Two of the finals.

“Very hard kasi sa start ng eliminations, shaky ang team eh. Twice kami natalo so
yung sinasabi ko sa kanila, pag nag-start ang season, hindi naman tayo masyadong
ready; eventually sa haba ng season, naayos din kung ano ang naging problema
sa team and ready naman sila na maayos ang sarili nila (We had a shaky start. After
losing twice, I told them even if we weren’t ready at the start of the season, we could
fix ourselves and fortunately, they were ready to address whatever’s bugging us),”
De Jesus said.

De Jesus, who collared his third three-peat and 11th overall for DLSU, said filling in
the big void left by Kim Fajardo made the road to title-retention bumpier.

“Ano kasi, alam mo na’ng hindi ganon katibay ang team sa pagkawala ng No. 1
setter sa Pilipinas si Fajardo. Mahirap palitan yun dahil kapag setter ang nawala,
medyo talagang shaky ang team. Thankfully, nag-step up si (Michelle) Cobb sa
bagong role niya sa team (It’s hard when you lose your setter, especially, the No. 1
setter in the Philippines Kim Fajardo. The team’s plays would be quite shaky without
her. But thankfully Michelle Cobb stepped up and embraced her new role for the
team),” he said.

Graduating libero Dawn Macandili, the Finals MVP, said it took them some time to
jell.

“Noong first round kasi parang kinikilala pa namin ang isa’t isa kasi syempre, bago
ang setter, lahat nag-aadjust. Ako dahil kailangan mababa ang receive ko kasi
si Ate Kim kahit mataas receive ko naabot niya, pero kay Cobb, kailangan ko mag-
adjust. Pati spikers kasi iba ang style ni Cobb kay Ate Kim so doon nahirapan
ang team (We have to adjust to our new setter. Personally, I had to receive low this
time unlike with Fajardo and also the spikers needed to adjust to Cobb’s playmaking
style),”said Macandili.

Lady Bulldogs break spell, secure playoff

National U finally got out of the doghouse and picked up a victory again via a 26-24,
26-24, 25-20 disposal of ousted University of the East, securing at least a playoff for
the last Final Four berth in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament
yesterday at Filoil Flying V Center.

Jaja Santiago topscored with 22 points, spearheading the assault as the Lady
Bulldogs grinded it out in each of the three sets en route to snapping a harrowing
five-game slump and firming up their hold of fourth spot with a 7-6 slate.

The Lady Bulldogs’ breakthrough victory in the second round, which also effectively
closed the door on two of their rivals for the Final Four – University of the Philippines
(5-8) and University of Santo Tomas (4-9) – came on the same day as semis-bound
La Salle closed in on the twice-to-beat incentive.

The Lady Spikers turned back the Tigresses, 25-23, 25-23, 25-22, to hike their
record to 10-2 and gain a playoff for the semis bonus.

Santiago highlighted her heroics with three successive hits that enabled NU to steal
the first set after UE took a 24-22 lead and back-to-back attacks that clinched the
second off a 24-24 standoff.
Risa Sato, scoreless last game, added 13 while Jasmine Nabor tossed 41 excellent
sets.

“It’s good to be back,” Santiago said during NU’s first post-match press conference
for winning teams since March 4.

“Masaya kasi unti-unti nakikita ko na bumabalik ang teamwork ng team and yung
talagang laro ng bawat isa. Though may kulang pa, nakita ko na ang ganda ng laro
namin, kung ano’ng training namin, lumabas talaga (I’m happy to see that little by
little, our teamwork is coming back, so does the game of each individual. Although
it’s not totally there, I feel we played a good game and we’re able to apply what we
planned in training),” said Santiago.

After a hot first round, the NU belles went on a free-fall and slid to fourth, casting
doubts on whether they’re still mentally capable to get the job done.

“Sobrang bigat, yung tipong kada training, iniisip namin, kaya natin ito, pero parang
may humihila na wala nang pag-asa yan. Nakikita mo naman sa bawat isa na
walang sumusuko, kahit nag-iiyakan na kami sa nangyayari (It’s a heavy burden.
Every training, we’re conditioning ourselves that we can do it but each time,
something seems to drag us down. What’s good is nobody’s giving up, even if we’re
always crying figuring out what’s wrong),” she said.

NU can enter the semis outright by taking care of business against Far Eastern next
week. Fifth-running Adamson (5-7) is hoping to catch NU at 7-7 to force a
rubbermatch for the remaining semis spot.

“Nakakagaan na na-break na yung five-game losing streak. Sabi ko pagpatuloy pa

namin ito hanggang sa FEU (Now that the jinx is gone, we should go for it in our next
game),” said Santiago.

The Lady Spikers clawed back from a 19-23 deficit in the opening set then leaned on
their experience and poise in nail-biting finishes in the next two frames to complete
the W.

Amazing Maroons humble Lady Eagles

MANILA, Philippines — University of the Philipines continued its giant killing ways,
claiming the scalp of Ateneo this time, 28-26, 25-23, 26-24, to stay in the running for
a Final Four berth in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tourney last night at
MOA Arena.

A few days after toppling National U, the Lady Maroons showed up ready to do battle
with a streaking heavyweight and outduelled the Lady Eagles in three hard-fought
sets to keep their semis hopes burning.

“To finish the tournament strong, that’s what we came to do and that’s what we did,”
said UP coach Godfry Okumu, whose charges improved to 5-8 and snapped the
five-game streak of Ateneo (9-4).
The Lady Maroons aim to win their last game against University of the East and
hope that NU loses its last two to force a playoff for the fourth F4 slot.

Tots Carlos paced UP with 22, delivering the goods in the second and third as the
Lady Maroons clawed back from deficits of 18-21 and 19-23, respectively.

Kat Tolentino led AdMU with 15.

Earlier, Far Eastern overcame a 41-error performance to clinch the third F4 seat
via a come-from-behind 25-22, 25-27, 14-25, 25-22, 15-11 win over Adamson.

The Lady Tams leaned on endgame heroics of Bernadeth Pons to overhaul an 8-10
deficit in the decider and secure their eighth victory against four losses over first-
round tormentor Lady Falcons, who slipped to 5-7.

FEU belles, who limited their errors to two in the decider, booked their fourth
consecutive F4 stint.

“Top 2 ang talagang target namin, hinahabol namin iyung twice to beat. Nabigyan
kami ng chance, hindi na namin dapat pakawalan pa ang chance na ito (We’re
gunning for the Top 2 and twice-to-beat and we still have a chance. We should make
the most of it),” said FEU coach George Pascua.

Pons topscored with 22 points plus 23 excellent digs and 24 excellent receptions.
She was backed up by Celine Domingo’ 12 attacks and six blocks and Chin Basas’
16.

Jema Galanza (16) and Mylene Paat (15) led the Lady Falcons.

In men’s action, holder Ateneo made shortwork of Santo Tomas, 25-11, 25-21, 25-
21, to grab a share of the lead with idle National U at 10-2 while sending the Tigers
down to their seventh setback in 12 starts.

Lady Spikers oust NU belles, clinch 10th straight final

Top-ranked La Salle took its familiar spot in the UAAP women’s volleyball finals after
dispatching No. 4 National U in yesterday’s Final Four at the MOA Arena, 27-25, 25-
22, 25-11, clinching its 10th consecutive appearance in the Last Dance.

The three-peat-seeking Lady Spikers patiently chipped away hot-starting NU’s lead
in the first set to draw first blood then asserted themselves in the next two frames to
seal the deal and set up an interesting title showdown with host Far Eastern U.

The No. 2 Lady Tams had taken care of business by nosing out No. 3 Ateneo, 25-20,
25-21, 14-25, 25-19, in the semis faceoff last Saturday.

This will be the first championship duel between DLSU and FEU since Season 71,
when the Taft-based squad rallied from a 0-1 deficit to beat its opponent from
Morayta in three games.
Kim Kiana Dy dropped 17 points while Tin Tiamzon added 11 and Dawn
Macandili had 23 excellent digs and 10 excellent receptions as DLSU extended its
long-standing UAAP finals streak.

“Kung ano man ang narating namin, dahil yan sa players, ginusto nila ito. Nung first
round may two losses, nag-bounce back, na
develop yung character ng team, yung maturity dumating sa players.

Although may times nag-struggle, na-overcome naman nila (This is all the fruit of
the players’ desire and hard work. After two losses in the eliminations, they bounced
back, developed their character and showed maturity. Although there are times of
struggle they managed to overcome it),” said DLSU coach Ramil de Jesus.

The Lady Bulldogs seized a 12-7 margin in the opening frame and got on the hill first
on a back-row attack by Jaja Santiago, 24-23. But the Lady Spikers saved match
point and outdueled NU towards the finish, breaking a 25-25 standoff on Majoy
Baron’s hit and Des Cheng’s ace.

“Sabi ko sa players, huwag nating bigyan ng chance na makakuha ng kumpyansa

ang NU; once makuha nila yung first set, medyo mahirap yung pagdadaanan natin.
Medyo malayo yung first set, ginapang ng team hanggang abutan sa end game (I
told the players not to allow NU to gain confidence by taking the first set, if they do,
our road will get bumpier. They grinded it out until we caught up in the endgame),”
said De Jesus.

“After noon, medyo bumitaw unti-unti ang NU (After we took the first, NU gradually
lost confidence),” he added.

Jaja Santiago scored 17 hits on her final game, ending her UAAP stint without a
championship.

In the men’s division, Bryan Bagunas sizzled with a career-high 29 as No.1 NU

Bulldogs overpowered No. 4 Santo Tomas, 25-13, 25-13, 31-29, to reach the finals
for the sixth consecutive season.

The Bulldogs imposed their will on the hapless Tigers on every aspect, posting 12
more spikes with their 39, eight more blocks with their 12 and four more aces with
their six, to grab the first finals berth.

NU awaits the winner of the other F4 duel between No. 2 FEU and No. 3 Ateneo.
The Eagles leaned on Marck Espejo’s record 55 points to win the first game, 18-25,
25-13, 24-26, 25-23, 15-9, and force a KO match on Wednesday.

Lady Tamaraws oust Eagles, reach final

The Far Eastern U Lady Tamaraws charged on to their first UAAP women’s
volleyball finals stint in nine years after hammering out an impressive 25-20, 25-21,
14-25, 25-19 dismantling of third-ranked Ateneo last night in their Season 80 Final
Four duel at MOA Arena.
Determined to cash in on the No. 2 seeding and win-once bonus semis the Lady
Tams outplayed the Lady Eagles in every major department and quashed Ateneo’s
late uprising to book the first ticket to the championship series.

As FEU ended nearly a decade of missing out the Last Dance, it also stopped the
streak of Ateneo, which was seeking its seventh consecutive finals appearance.

“Pinaghirapan namin ito, pinlano talaga, nag-usap-usap kami, ang daming

sinakrispisyo para makarating kami dito. Halos isang dekadang wala sa finals. Na-
achieve naman namin (We worked hard for this, planned well, sacrificed a lot to get
to this stage. For almost a decade FEU missed the finals and finally we achieved our
goal),” said FEU coach George Pascua.

Bernadeth Pons provided the leadership anew and came through with another all-
around performance of 17 points, 16 excellent digs, and 19 excellent receptions.
Kyle Negrito tossed 28 excellent sets and Chin Basas gave Pons a huge lift on
offense with 17 markers.

FEU outperformed AdMU in spikes, 40-35, blocks, 13-6, and service, 10-3, while
doing a better job in reception, 34 versus 27.

“Sabi ko sa kanila against Ateneo, dapat as a team tayo. Sinabihan ko rin si Chin na
kailangan niya mag-step up ka para balanse ang opensa, hindi lang si Pons kasi
binabantayan siya, siya lahat, nagre-receive, pumapako, mauubos siya. Nagrespond
naman (To beat Ateneo, we have to play as a team. I challenged Basas to step up
so we’ll have balanced offense. We need to help Pons because she’s also receiving
aside from attacking. Good thing, she responded),” said Pascua.

Kat Tolentino and Jho Maraguinot had 11 apiece for Ateneo.

In men’s play, Marck Espejo dished out a monstrous 55-point performance as

resilient No. 3 Ateneo rallied past higher-ranked Final Four opponent Far Eastern,
18-25, 25-13, 24-26, 25-23, 15-9, to force a rubbermatch for a finals seat.

With their reign under heavy siege, four-time MVP Espejo simply took over, landing
47 hits from every conceivable angle, extracting six points from his net defense and
scoring twice from the service line in a record-setting outing that kept AdMU’s title
retention hopes alive and set the stage for the KO match on Wednesday.

Espejo dropped 10 in the decider, accounting for the team’s last four markers to put
the finishing touches to probably the greatest individual effort in league history.

Lady Spikers repeat over Lady Eagles, sweep 2nd round

Reigning champions De La Salle University asserted their mastery over Ateneo de

Manila University after making quick work of their foes via a 26-24, 25-17, 25-19
decision in the 80th UAAP women's volleyball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena
Sunday.
The Lady Spikers, who were riding on high on the momentum of a seven-game win
streak, picked the Lady Eagles apart before a crowd of 23,243 spectaators in the first
two sets.

De La Salle trailed by much as 8-12 the third, but behind Norielle Ipac and the
leadership of Kim Dy, they went on to weather Ateneo's Jho Maraguinot and
recapture their lethal form to turn the tables just in the nick of time.

"We treat each of our games like it's our last," said Dy, who paced her team with 13.
"Kailangang all out."

"At ayaw naming pumasok ng semis na talo kami. Ayaw namin nang wala kaming
confidence [going into the next round]," chimed in reigning Most Valuable Player
MaJoy Baron, who accounted for nine points in the effort.

"Sabi ko nga, para [ito sa] self-confidence namin," mentor Ramil de Jesus said. He
noted that his wards' confidence in each other--perhaps bets epitomized by Ipac's
shining moment--is intsturmental for the next phase of the skirmishes.

De La Salle's unblemished run in the second half of the eliminations traces back to
the win over Ateneo that closed the Lady Spikers' opening round campaign.

Far Eastern University, who earler defeated National University in four sets, officially
clinched the second seed and a twice-to-beat incentive following the Taft-based
squad's victory. They take on Ateneo in the Final Four.

The Lady Spikers, who have been at the pinnacle of the tournament for the past two
years, rounds out the preliminaries with a 12-2 win-loss record. The Lady Eagles, on
the other hand, finish with a 9-5 card and will head into the semifinals without the
bonus for the first time since Season 76 of the tournament.

The Lady Tamaraws wrapped up their opening round campaign with a 10-4 win-loss
record. The Lady Bulldogs, on the other and, finished with a 7-7 card and will face an
uphill battle in taking on the Lady Spikers.

Final Four of the hostilities begin on April 21.

Lady Spikers clinch number 1 seed, repulse Falcons

La Salle rebounded from a third set defeat and ousted Adamson U from the semifinal
race, posting a 25-21, 25-15, 22-25, 25-18, victory to clinch the top spot and a twice-
to-beat edge in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament at the Filoil
Flying V Center in San Juan yesterday.

The Lady Spikers pounced on the Lady Falcons’ sloppy service reception to sweep
the first two sets then bounced back strong in the fourth with Desiree Cheng
clinching the victory for the Taft-based squad, which racked up its seventh straight
win for an 11-2 overall card.
Cheng’s final ace was La Salle’s 18 in all as the Lady Spikers got back at the Lady
Falcons, who beat them, 18-25, 25-15, 19-25, 22-25, in the first round and foiled the
San Marcelino-based school’s backdoor bid with a 5-8 slate.

The win also completed the Final Four cast that includes Ateneo (9-4), Far Eastern U
(8-4) and National U (7-6).

In the other game, Far Eastern University walloped ousted University of the East, 25-
17, 25-15, 25-20, to stay in the hunt for the other twice-to-beat semis bonus.

The Lady Tamaraws fended off the Lady Warriors’ third set charge as Jeanette
Villareal, Celine Domingo and Jerrili Malabanan rallied FEU to complete the straight-
set victory for joint second with idle Ateneo at 9-4. “Our service is one of the things
we worked on in. We know that’s one of our lapses against Adamson in the first
round.”

'Gold standard' Lady Spikers cement UAAP women's volleyball dominance

Champions three years running now and proud owner of not one, not two, but three
"three-peat" feats in the past 15 years, the La Salle Lady Spikers remain the gold
standard for UAAP women's volleyball supremacy.

The Lady Spikers put the finishing touches to yet another successful campaign with
a deserved 26-24, 25-20, 26-24 dispatching of challenger Far Eastern University
Wednesday in Game Two of the Season 80 finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The triumph, pulled off in front of a 14,018-strong crowd, extended La Salle's current
reign to a third year, allowed them to match their grand slams in 2003-05 and 2011-
13, and hiked its overall collection to 11 titles.

"Every season nagpre-prepare kami, kung merong opportunity na dumating katulad

ngayon, hindi na namin binibitawan (Every season,we just prepare hard and if an
opportunity arises, we'll grab it)," said coach Ramil de Jesus, the architect of DLSU's
proven program.

Graduating veterans Kim Kianna Dy, Majoy Baron and Dawn Macandili played their
hearts out, doing everything in their capacity to win points for DLSU in the title-
clincher.

Dy topscored with 19 points, dropping 11 in the opening set to help the Lady Spikers
steal it after trailing at 21-24, while Baron and Tin Tiamzon added 10 apiece, and
Macandili had 21 excellent digs and eight excellent receptions.

"Our mindset was it's still a do-or-die game because if we lose this, FEU will get their
chance," said Dy, who had 16 attacks and two blocks.

For keeping countless balls alive, Macandili was named Finals MVP, which surprised
the fifth-year libero from Tanauan.
"Sobrang surprised, hindi ko ineexpect na mag Finals MVP kasi non-scoring ako (I'm
a non-scoring player so this came as a surprise)," said Macandili. "Everytime I step
into the court, iniisip ko lang paano makatulong sa team at paano sila ma-motivate
(I'm just thinking of ways to help the team and motivate them) being one of the
seniors)."

Bernadeth Pons bounced back from a nine-point output in Game One with 17
markers this time, along with 15 excellent digs and the same number of excellent
receptions, but failed to save the season for the Lady Tams, who were in the finals
for the first time in nine years.

"Very proud ako sa players, up to the last breath nila, lumaban sila, hindi sila
bumitaw (I'm very proud of the players for fighting til their last breath)," said FEU
coach George Pascua.

The Lady Tams lost the first set by allowing DLSU to score with five unanswered
points in the windup then they were undone by nine errors in the second.

La Salle seemed to cruise in the third when it seized a 16-11 lead but FEU mounted
a final uprising and caught up at 24-all before Dy put the Lady Spikers on the hill
again with an off-speed shot and Tiamzon sealed it with a well-placed hit.

Lady Spikers blitz Tams

It wasn’t a five-setter this time around but La Salle still had to summon its
championship poise before scoring a 29-27, 25-21, 25-22 victory over hard-fighting
Far Eastern to move on the cusp of a three-peat in the UAAP Season 80 women’s
volleyball tourney yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The experience from playing their 10th straight finals appearance coming in handy,
the composed Lady Spikers outsteadied the gritty but erratic Lady Tams in three
tightly fought sets to claim Game One in front of a 14,293-strong crowd and close in
on a grand-slam and their 11th overall tiara.

Kim Dy punched in 10 in a balanced scoring for DLSU that saw May Luna come off
the bench to deliver nine, most of them in crucial stretches, and Majoy Baron and Tin
Tiamzon add eight apiece.

“During the elims parehong hirap kami sa FEU. Siguro kung hindi namin nakuha ang
first set, hindi magkaganon yun. Kasi kahit five-point lead, hindi yan score para sa
FEU, sa kanila pag gumalaw sila nang tama, dire-diretso yan, Sabi ko gumawa lang
tayo nang tama (FEU has given us a hard time since the elims, where we played two
five-setters. Perhaps had we not taken the first set, it would have been another five-
setter because we knew once FEU got things right, they will go on a roll. I told them
to just do things right and we’d be okay),” said DLSU coach Ramil de Jesus.

The Lady Spikers stormed to a 14-7 headstart in the first but the Lady Tams fought
back and caught up at 16-16 and engaged the holders to a furious battle to the
finish.
DLSU eventualy closed it out on its third set point but not before having to save set-
point itself twice. Then the La Sallians had to climb back from 2-6 deficits in both the
second and third sets before getting the clincher.

“Sabi ko sa kanila, susi dito ay magtyaga, huwag natin i-give up kahit anong
situation, defense man yan, blocking, attack, importante wag mag-give-up (I told
them the key here is to be patient; never give up on any situation, whether its on
defense, blocking or attack),” said De Jesus.

“Actually yung first set ang pinakamahirap na part, doon ka kukuha ng kumpyansa;
kung anong gagawin mo, yun ang magiging pace ng laro. Good thing nakuha namin
ang first set (The first set is actually the hardest part because that would dictate the
pace of the game. Good thing, we got the first set),” said Baron.

The Lady Tams’ inexperience showed in their 34 errors throughout the 1-hour 33-
minute contest. In contrast, DLSU committed 21 miscues.

“Sa finals kung sino less ang errors yun ang mananalo (In a finals series, the team
that commits fewer errors has the upperhand),” said FEU’s George Pascua. “Isa pa
iyong experience. Sabi ko sa kanila, kapag ang player sa crucial part, nagservice
error, ibig sabihin, hindi pa siya sanay sa ganoong klaseng scenario (Experience
was also a factor. I told them committing service errors during crucial stretch just
shows the player’s inexperience in such situations).”

Heather Guino-O paced FEU with 14 while Bernadeth Pons scored nine.

Over in men’s play, National U put the cuffs on Ateneo’s scoring machine Marck
Espejo to romp off with a 25-20, 25-19, 25-23 victory and inch closer to the diadem.

The Bulldogs held Espejo to 16 points – way below the record 55 and 37 he normed
in their Final Four win over Far Eastern.

In-form Lady Spikers foil Eagles drive

Grandslam-seeking La Salle dealt rival Ateneo a huge blow, foiling the Lady Eagles’
bid for the other Final Four incentive in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball
tourney with an emphatic 26-24, 25-17, 25-19 romp yesterday before a packed MOA
Arena.

Though guaranteed of the top semis seeding and twice-to-beat bonus regardless of
the outcome of this second-round duel, the Lady Spikers still treated it as crucial and
went all out to secure their eighth straight victory and 12th overall in 14 games in
front of a 23,243-strong crowd.

La Salle didn’t only sweep Ateneo in the elims but also threw a wrench on the Lady
Eagles’ aspirations to force a playoff for No. 2 with Far Eastern, which booked its
10th win at the expense of National U in the first game, 25-21, 25-22, 16-25, 25-20.
“(There’s) less pressure (and it’s a) no-bearing (match for DLSU) pero gusto naming
maglaro nang maganda para ma-gain ang confidence, ayaw naming pumasok ng
semis na galing sa talo (but we want to play our game efficiently so we can gain
confidence heading into the semis),” said DLSU skipper Majoy Baron.

La Salle is set to face NU (7-7), which settled for the No. 4 spot in the semis despite
a measly 1-6 record in the second round. Second-seeded FEU, which posted its best
record in nine years, will enter its Final Four duel with third-ranked Ateneo (9-5)
armed with the win-once perk.

Kim Dy (13), Des Cheng (12), and Tin Tiamzon (11) led the scoring parade for
DLSU, which outspiked AdMU by 12 (42-30) and outperformed the latter in the block
department, 9-7.

Kat Tolentino punched in 15 for Ateneo, which won’t have the semis bonus for the
first time since Season 76.

Earlier, the Lady Tams took care of their business end by prevailing over NU in four.

“May chance kami na ibalik yung glory years ng FEU, ayaw na naming pakawalan ito
(We have chance to bring back the glory years of FEU and we don’t want to waste
it),” said FEU coach George Pascua, whose wards are in the Top 2 for the first time
since the Season 71

In men’s play, National U snapped a 13-game losing streak to holder Ateneo with a
25-23, 21-25, 25-23, 25-19 victory to seize the No. 1 spot in the semis while sending
the Blue Eagles down to No. 3.

Bryan Bagunas banged in 19 while Kim Malabunga and Madz Gampong added 11
apiece as the Bulldogs broke the stranglehold of AdMU and finished the elims with
12-2. The Tams wound up with the same card after a 23-25, 25-16, 28-26, 25-20 win
over la Salle but settled for second seed due to NU’s higher points ratio.

Lady Bulldogs break spell, secure playoff

National U finally got out of the doghouse and picked up a victory again via a 26-24,
26-24, 25-20 disposal of ousted University of the East, securing at least a playoff for
the last Final Four berth in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament
yesterday at Filoil Flying V Center.

Jaja Santiago topscored with 22 points, spearheading the assault as the Lady
Bulldogs grinded it out in each of the three sets en route to snapping a harrowing
five-game slump and firming up their hold of fourth spot with a 7-6 slate.

The Lady Bulldogs’ breakthrough victory in the second round, which also effectively
closed the door on two of their rivals for the Final Four – University of the Philippines
(5-8) and University of Santo Tomas (4-9) – came on the same day as semis-bound
La Salle closed in on the twice-to-beat incentive.

The Lady Spikers turned back the Tigresses, 25-23, 25-23, 25-22, to hike their
record to 10-2 and gain a playoff for the semis bonus.
Santiago highlighted her heroics with three successive hits that enabled NU to steal
the first set after UE took a 24-22 lead and back-to-back attacks that clinched the
second off a 24-24 standoff.

Risa Sato, scoreless last game, added 13 while Jasmine Nabor tossed 41 excellent
sets.

“It’s good to be back,” Santiago said during NU’s first post-match press conference
for winning teams since March 4.

“Masaya kasi unti-unti nakikita ko na bumabalik ang teamwork ng team and yung
talagang laro ng bawat isa. Though may kulang pa, nakita ko na ang ganda ng laro
namin, kung ano’ng training namin, lumabas talaga (I’m happy to see that little by
little, our teamwork is coming back, so does the game of each individual. Although
it’s not totally there, I feel we played a good game and we’re able to apply what we
planned in training),” said Santiago.

After a hot first round, the NU belles went on a free-fall and slid to fourth, casting
doubts on whether they’re still mentally capable to get the job done.

“Sobrang bigat, yung tipong kada training, iniisip namin, kaya natin ito, pero parang
may humihila na wala nang pag-asa yan. Nakikita mo naman sa bawat isa na
walang sumusuko, kahit nag-iiyakan na kami sa nangyayari (It’s a heavy burden.
Every training, we’re conditioning ourselves that we can do it but each time,
something seems to drag us down. What’s good is nobody’s giving up, even if we’re
always crying figuring out what’s wrong),” she said.

NU can enter the semis outright by taking care of business against Far Eastern next
week. Fifth-running Adamson (5-7) is hoping to catch NU at 7-7 to force a
rubbermatch for the remaining semis spot.

“Nakakagaan na na-break na yung five-game losing streak. Sabi ko pagpatuloy pa

namin ito hanggang sa FEU (Now that the jinx is gone, we should go for it in our next
game),” said Santiago.

The Lady Spikers clawed back from a 19-23 deficit in the opening set then leaned on
their experience and poise in nail-biting finishes in the next two frames to complete
the W.

UP belles send skiddin’ Lady Bulldogs to 5th in row

A determined University of the Philippines pounded on the National U’s Lady
Bulldogs who have seemingly lost their bite in the second round, hammering out a
25-18, 25-22, 25-20 reversal to keep its hopes for the UAAP Season 80 women’s
volleyball Final Four alive last night at Filoil Flying V Center.

The Lady Maroons capitalized on Lady Bulldogs’ woeful reception (28 percent) to
land 34 attack points – 10 more than NU’s output – and 12 service aces – twice the
latter’s tally – to score their fourth win in 12 matches.
NU, the most dominant team in the first round with a 6-1 mark, continued its freefall
and suffered its fifth consecutive setback for 6-6 overall.

Earlier, pushed to the limit for the second game in a row, Ateneo again proved up to
the challenge and responded big time to rally past University of Santo Tomas, 25-22,
20-25, 16-25, 25-17, 15-9, and formalize its entry into the semis.

Tots Carlos led the way for UP with 18 points built around 14 hits and four aces, as
Isa Molde chipped in 10 with 16 excellent digs and four excellent receptions. The
Lady Maroons stayed in the hunt while adding to the woes of floundering NU.

“For us it’s really about finishing the season strong. Regardless of what happens, we
need to finish strong,” said UP coach Godfrey Okumu.

The Lady Bulldogs are in an exact opposite of what they were in the first half, where
they swept their first five games. Yet to win in the second round, the NU belles find
their semis bid in jeopardy.

Just like in their five-set win over Adamson before the Holy Week break, the Lady
Eagles clawed back from a 1-2 set deficit and showed their composure in the nerve-
wracking race to the finish to rack up their fifth consecutive triumph and 9-3 overall
and reach the post-season for the ninth straight season.

Kat Tolentino punched in 21 points, including four in the deciding set highlighted by
the clinching service ace, while Jho Maraguinot added 19 markers plus eight
excellent digs, to power AdMU to a followup to its hard-earned 24-26, 25-19, 21-25,
26-24, 15-12 thriller over AdU last March 25

Lady Spikers rip Warriors

In-form La Salle ripped University of the East to shreds, 25-8, 25-14, 25-12, to clinch
the first Final Four seat in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tourney at the
Filoil Flying V Center yesterday.

Showcasing their most dominant form yet, the mighty Lady Spikers didn’t give the
Lady Warriors a chance for an upset, landing attacks nearly at will and putting a
virtually impenetrable defensive wall to run away with their ninth win against two
losses and beat everyone to the draw in the semis race.

“Nasa number one na kami, sabi ni coach, huwag na kaming bumitiw, kailangan di
mawala sa focus, kahit sino kalaban, kailangan 100 percent focused (We’re already
at No. 1 and coach told us we should hold on to it; we need to stay 100 percent
focused regardless of who we’re playing),” said libero Dawn Macandili, who had 19
excellent digs and five excellent receptions to lead the DLSU defense.

The Lady Spikers, indeed, were focused and at their sharpest versus the hapless the
Lady Warriors, holding now eliminated UE (2-9) to only 34 points in the one-sided
encounter where they stormed to big leads in each set, 16-5 in the first, 21-11 in the
second and 9-0 in the third.
The Taft-based volleybelles had 39 attacks while yielding only 12 hits to UE,
extracted nine points off blocks and scored five aces against UE’s two and one,
respectively, in the one-hour, 35-minute demolition job that secured their ninth
straight post-season appearance.

Majoy Baron (13) and Kim Kiana Dy (11) led DLSU’s scoring parade while
Adorador’s five topped UE’s.

Earlier, Far Eastern U moved closer to the F4 with a 21-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-22
verdict over University of the Philippines.

Kyle Negrito and Net Villareal came through with career games as the Lady Tams
recovered from a slow start to grab their seventh victory in 11 starts and seize solo
third. Negrito tossed 46 excellent sets to enable four FEU belles to finish in double
figures, led by Villareal and Bernadeth Pons’ 15 markers, aside from scoring nine
herself.

“Medyo nagmamadali yung team noong umpisa. Hindi naman namin matatapos
yung game agad, kailangan dahan-dahan lang kami at sumunod sa game plan (The
team was rushing things in the first set. I told them we should patiently take it point
for point and follow the game plan),” said FEU coach George Pascua, whose wards
got back on track after their five-set heartbreaker to DLSU last Sunday.

Tots Carlos punched in 23 for UP, which reeled to its third straight loss and stood on
the brink with 3-8 overall.

In the men’s play, defending champion Ateneo and Far Eastern booked their ninth
wins over separate rivals to join idle National U (9-1) in the Final Four.

Lady Bulldogs smother Maroons, stay on top

Picking itself up following a shock loss in its previous game, National U dispatched
University of the Philippines, 25-23, 25-23, 25-17, to regain its winning ways and
stay on top halfway through the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament at
the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan yesterday.

Jaja Santiago punched in 17 hits while Risa Sato added 10 markers and Jasmine
Nabor tossed 32 excellent sets as the Lady Bulldogs atoned for their 22-25, 27-25,
13-25, 20-25 setback to the Far Eastern U Lady Tams four days before and
remained at No. 1 with a 6-1 card after the first round elims.

University of the East later grabbed a share of the limelight as it upstaged Adamson
in a five-set thriller, 25-22, 22-25, 14-25, 25-20, 15-11, to break through with its first
win after a 0-6 start and snap a 13-game losing skid dating back to last season’s first
round.

“After we lost (to FEU), we moved on right away and reset our attitude. Before this
game started, we told ourselves this has to be a statement game,” said NU coach
Babes Castillo, whose wards topped the first round for the first time in the Final Four
era.
“Today we’ll celebrate because it’s our first time to be ranked one. We’re celebrating
but we’re not really happy with the way we played; we have a lot more to work on
and improve on.”

NU survived a late scare in the first two sets but pretty much stamped its class in the
third, where it stormed to a 21-14 cushion en route to the bounce-back win.

Tots Carlos, who logged a season-high 32 in UP’s victory over Santo Tomas last
Wednesday, finished with 15 this time for the Lady Maroons who ended the first
round with 2-5.

The Lady Warriors, meanwhile, averted a winless stint by giving giant killer Adamson
– victor over champ La Salle in its previous outing – a dose of its own medicine.

“They had a good training, they had good aura, they performed all the skill set. I told
them if they play this way on Sunday, we will win. And we did,” said UE interim
mentor Rod Roque.

Shaya Adorador scored seven points in the fifth set as UE tightened the noose on
the Lady Falcons and completed the reversal.

In men’s play, NU Bulldogs raced to their fifth straight win via a 25-22, 23-25, 25-19,
25-23 verdict over the UP Maroons to finish with 6-1 overall in a triple tie with FEU
and holder Ateneo while the Falcons dominated winless UE Warriors, 25-16, 25-18,
25-12, for a 2-5 mark.

Lady Bulldogs halt Tigresses, keep lead

National U bucked a second-set meltdown and outsteadied Santo Tomas in an
exciting endgame to keep its clean record in UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball
via a 25-19, 14-25, 25-19, 28-26 victory yesterday at Filoil Flying V Center.

Jaja Santiago took charge in the fourth frame as the Lady Bulldogs clawed back from
a 3-8 deficit and saved set point before finishing off the pesky Tigresses for their fifth
straight win.

“We’re gaining a lot from our strength and trust in one another,” said Santiago, who
finished with 19 points with five digs.

Santiago levelled it at 26-all before NU reached match point on an attack error by

UST’s Ma. Cecilia Bangad and Raisa Sato clinched it with a block on Sisi Rondina.

Jasmine Nabor had 32 excellent sets in another fine playmaking effort for NU, which
also drew 10 from Aiko Urdas.

Despite NU’s scheme to slow her down, Rondina piled up 25 as UST dropped to 2-3.

Earlier, Ateneo soared to its fourth consecutive victory and grabbed a share of
second spot after disposing of skidding University of the Philippines, 25-20, 25-22,
28-26.
Jules Samonte topscored with 15 as Jho Maraguinot (11), Maddie Madayag (nine)
and Bea de Leon (nine) provided support and Deanna Wong tossed all but one of
AdMU’s 34 excellent sets as the Lady Eagles continued their winning ways after an
0-2 start and joined idle La Salle at No. 2.

“Being in actual games was really a big help for us (in terms of gelling) and every
game is a learning experience,” said De Leon. “After the 0-2 start, really, there’s no
way but up. And with the encouragement of our coaches and teammates, we found
our way up.”

Tots Carlos (20) and Isa Molde (16) paced the Lady Maroons, whose skid extended
to four after hurdling their opening-day assignment.