Falcons thwart Eagles for V-League top spot

MANILA, Philippines - Adamson outdueled Ateneo in a thrilling five-set showdown, hacking out an 18-25, 25-17, 25-21, 21-25, 15-12 victory to clinch the top spot in Group B at the close of the Shakey’s V-League Season 7 elims at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan late Thursday.

Guest player Nerissa Bautista and Angela Benting combined for 48 points, including key hits in the deciding set that carried the Lady Falcons past the Lady Eagles in a match that was close throughout.

Adamson actually finished tied with Ateneo with 3-1 slates, sweeping its last three games following an opening game loss to Lyceum in the tournament sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza and presented by PLDT MyDSL.

But the Falcons took the top group seeding via the winner-over-the-other rule and joined Group A topnotcher San Sebastian, University of St. La Salle-Bacolod and Lyceum in Group I in the quarterfinal round.

Ateneo, which swept its first three games, settled for No. 2, joining UST Southwestern U and St. Benilde in Group II of the tournament organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa, Accel and Mighty Bond.

Meanwhile, volley action is expected to heat up tomorrow as San Sebastian duels with Lyceum at 2 p.m. while UST and St. Benilde tangle at 4 p.m. at the start of the quarters, another single round robin phase with the top two in each group advancing to the crossover semis.

However, under the format, teams which tangled in the group elims will no longer play against each other in the quarters although results will be carried over.

Thai import Sontaya Keawbundit fired 27 hits, including 25 kills, while Charo Soriano added 13 points but the Eagles failed to neutralize the Falcons’ spirited charge in the fifth set.

Bautista and Benting also drew big games from Paulina Soriano and Charmaine Moralde, who scored 13 and 11, respectively, including four blocks each for the Lady Falcons, who finished runner-up to the UST Tigresses in the last conference.