Tigresses foil Lady Eagles for No. 1

University of Santo Tomas fought off a fierce comeback by Ateneo and escaped with a 25-15, 25-23, 27-29, 23-25, 15-12 victory to formalize its claim of the top spot in the Final Four at the close of the Shakey’s V-League second conference elims at The Arena in San Juan City yesterday.

Aiza Maizo and guest player Mary Jean Balse came through with crucial kills in the deciding set to close out the two-hour encounter and give UST a 6-1 slate.

San Sebastian College primed up for its Final Four clash with La Salle as the Lady Stags scored an expected sweep over the St. Benilde Blazers, 25-17, 25-21, 25-15, earlier for the No. 2 seeding.

UST faces Adamson in the Final Four starting Friday with San Sebastian and La Salle clashing in other semis matchup, a best-of-three series.

Laurence Ann Latigay and Analyn Joy Benito combined for 32 hits while Rysabelle Devanadera added nine points for the Lady Stags, who thus clinched the No. 2 spot in the semis with a 5-2 card.

La Salle and Adamson also finished with 5-2 slates in the event sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza but the Lady Archers and the Lady Falcons settled for Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, based on the FIVB quotient system.

Winners will dispute the title in another best-of-three playoff, according to the organizing Sports Vision.

For updates and results, visit the tournament website at www.v-league.ph. The league is backed by Active White skin whitening products, Mikasa and Accel.

The Lady Eagles, who fought back from two sets down and won the next two to draw level, took a 10-8 edge in the fifth set on Charo Soriano’s hit. But the three-time champion Tigresses unloaded five unanswered points behind Balse and Maizo to wrest the lead at 13-10.

Ateneo closed in last at 12-14 on a Michelle Laborte drop shot but Maizo clinched the victory for UST with a smash off Soriano.

“We’re happy to clinch the No. 1 seeding, but I hope my players will play with more intensity in the Final Four. We slackened in defense and reception in the third and fourth sets,” said UST coach Cesael delos Santos.

Venus Bernal finished with 26 points, highlighted with 22 attacks while Balse added 15 points for UST.

Laborte dished out a conference-high 29 points, including five blocks, while Soriano added 21 hits for the Lady Eagles.

Latigay, scoring on quick plays, rammed in 16 smashes and finished with 17 points while Benito added 15 points, including 14 kills, as the duo geared up for a showdown with La Salle top hitters Stephanie Mercado and the league’s current top scorer Jacqueline Alarca.

Giza Yumang unloaded seven spikes for a nine-point output, while Cindy Velasquez had three blocks and wound up with eight points for St. Benilde, which closed out its elims campaign with a 1-6 card, the same as that of last conference’s runner-up Ateneo. — end it//thanks