NU, La Salle claim volley diadems

MANILA, Philippines - National University pulled a big surprise in the men’s competition while the La Salle ladies lived up to expectations in the second Eagle Ridge Invitational Volleyball Championship at the Sports Clubhouse of the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in Gen. Trias, Cavite recently.

The Bulldogs slew the giants in men’s play, including a 25-19, 23-27 and 26-24 thriller over Far Eastern in the step-ladder semifinals and a 25-20, 25-19, 25-23 mastery of University of Santo Tomas in the championship duel to claim a post-UAAP season crown.

FEU, which had earlier dethroned UST for the crown in this year’s UAAP showdown, settled for third place.

After posting back-to-back titles in the UAAP, the La Salle Lady Archers were not in the mood to allow UST a measure of revenge.

The Archers punished the Tigresses in three straight sets 25-17, 25-23 and 25-20 for a four-game sweep of the short series sponsored by Gatorade, LG Electronics and East Asia Property Development Corp., Mizuno, Pepsi Cola, G&W Club Shares, Microtel Hotel & Resorts, DMD Cool Care Center, Ebenezer International College, Mafull Resort and Golf’en Sky Travel and Tours Corp. and Arcilla Domini Graphics.

The Bulldogs, winning their first invitational in years, took the top prize of P40,000 while La Salle got P20,000.

The men’s lineup also included Adamson, La Salle Dasmariñas, St. Dominic Savio College and University of Perpetual Help System-Biñan.