Ateneo, Adamson edge closer to finals

MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo drew strength from Thai reinforcement Jeng Bualee as it turned back a feisty University of Santo Tomas side, 20-25, 25-16, 29-27, 25-14, yesterday to move closer to a third straight finals appearance in the Shakey’s V-League Season 10 First Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

Bualee, picked up just a few days back from an ousted San Sebastian College, provided the Lady Eagles the needed firepower and net defense, scoring 15 kills and four blocks for a 19-hit output.

“Our weakness is really in the middle and she (Bualee) filled that gaping hole well,” said Ateneo coach Roger Gorayeb. “Aside from scoring and blocking, she also provides the experience for my younger players. We need someone like her, an elder sister to everyone.”

With Ateneo getting another scoring option, Alyssa Valdez got some space, uncorking a match-high 25 hits, including 19 kills and three service aces and three blocks.

Rachel Daquis, Ateneo’s local import, unloaded 13 hits while Fille Cainglet chipped in 10 markers as the Lady Eagles took the opener of their best-of-three Final Four series.

The defending back-to-back champions try to close out the Tigresses tomorrow at the MOA Arena in Pasay City. A UST victory, however, will set the stage for a sudden death for the other finals berth, which will be played back at the Philsports Arena.

Later in the day, Adamson overhauled a five-point deficit in the deciding fifth set and snatched a nail-biting 22-25, 25-18, 25-19, 22-25, 15-13 victory over erstwhile unbeaten National U to likewise gain the headstart in their own best-of-three series.

Angela Benting, voted as one of the top 10 players in the league’s first 10 years, peppered the Lady Bulldogs with 25 attacks for a 28-hit game, including a kill and a service ace that clinched the stirring come-from-behind victory.

“She really trained hard for this game and it showed in how she played,” said Adamson coach Sherwin Meneses in Filipino referring to the crisp-spiking Benting, who also scored a hit to tie the match at 13.

Up 9-4 in the decider, the Lady Bulldogs appeared on their way to victory but Benting took charge and delivered the goods while the Lady Falcons backed her up with superb coverage and net defense to deal the Bulldogs their first setback after seven straight wins from the elims to the quarters of the league sponsored by Shakey’s.

Earlier, Carmela Tunay, Maika Ortiz, Aiza Maizo and Pamela Lastimosa led the Tigresses with 14, 13, 12 and 10 hits, respectively, but UST failed to draw the needed production from the seasoned pair of Maruja Banaticla and Judy Caballejo, who finished runner-up in a recent beach volley tournament.

The Tigresses, who swept the quarterfinal round in Group II, jumped the gun early on the fancied Lady Eagles and appeared headed for a big romp with an impressive win in the opening set. But Ateneo bounced back strong in the second then fought off three set points, including a hotly-disputed call on the 26th, to escape with the pivotal win in the third.

They then raced to a 10-2 lead in the fourth, scoring heavily on hits and blocks while pouncing on their rivals’ series of mishits to wrap up the one-hour, 39-minute contest kicking off a blockbuster semis phase of the event backed by Mikasa and Accel.

“We committed a lot of errors in the early going that’s why we lost the first set,” said Gorayeb. “But when we started to minimize our mistakes and execute our game plan both on offense and defense, we started to get our game going.”