MANILA, Philippines — Christian dela Paz upstaged rookie MVP Joebert Almodiel as Arellano University pulled off a shock 12-25, 25-21, 19-25, 26-24, 15-9 victory over Perpetual Help yesterday to close in on its first-ever men’s crown in the NCAA volleyball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.
Dela Paz, who played one season with UP in the UAAP before transferring to AU three years ago, pumped in a match-best 24 points, including the match-clinching kill to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three title showdown.
The Chiefs gun for the crown in Game Two Monday with the deciding Game Three, if necessary, will be played Thursday.
AU, which beat last year’s champion St. Benilde in the stepladder semis to make the finals, also dealt Perpetual Help its first defeat in the season after the Altas swept the elims and gained the outright finals seat.
Dela Paz outplayed Almodiel, who won the MVP, Rookie of the Year and Best Outside Spiker honors but cracked under pressure in the deciding set. Almodiel finished with just 18 points.
“I just tried to help the team as best as I could,” said the 20-year-old Dela Paz from Parang, Marikina who was also named the Second Best Outside Spiker.
In women’s play, Arellano U checked its skid and eked out a 25-15, 25-16, 15-25, 22-25, 15-6 victory over San Beda to close in on its third title.