Mary Ann Manalo matched Cherry Macatangay’s 28 kills while Rachel Daquis and Josephine Cafranca stepped up to combine for 22 attacks to help power the Lady Tams to their third straight victory after an opening game setback to force a three-way tie for second with their victim and the Lady Dolphins on 3-1 (win-loss) slates.
PCU posted that three-win streak when it swept Ateneo, 25-21, 25-23, 25-21, in the first game.
FEU and PCU’s victories enabled idle De La Salle to seize the solo lead with a 3-0 mark.
With mainstay Cathlea Villaluz combining splendidly with import Amelia Guanco, the Lady Dolphins outsteadied the Lady Eagles and went on to humble the hosts and sustain their romp following an opening day setback to the Adamson Lady Falcons.
Villaluz came away with 15 kills while Guanco, one of the two guest players of the team, tossed in 10 while the rest backed them up with a gritty defense upfront. Villaluz finished with a total of 16 points to emerge the game’s best scorer.
It was another sorry loss for the Lady Eagles, who kept the game close in all three sets but failed to get the needed breaks at endgame. They fell to 1-3.
Ateneo held its own in defense but just couldn’t pile up the points they needed to offset Villaluz and Guanco’s production. Import Michelle Laborte and Patricia Taganas combined for 17 of the Lady Eagles’ 27 points in attacks.
Meanwhile, action in the event, organized by Sports Vision and backed by Accel, Mikasa, ABC-5 and ABC Sports, resumes today with De La Salle gunning for its fourth straight victory against winless University of the East at 4 p.m.
Lyceum, on the other hand, tries to get back into the thick of things as it shoots for its second win in four games against San Sebastian, also winless in three starts.