Ateneo belles rip Knights, gain Shakey’s quarters

MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo flexed just enough muscle to overpower Letran, 25-17, 25-16, 25-17, and clinch the first quarterfinal berth with its third straight victory in the Shakey’s V-League Season 10 First Conference at The Arena in San Juan City yesterday.

Rachel Anne Daquis and Fille Cainglet fired 13 hits apiece as the three-peat seeking Lady Eagles dominated the Lady Knights with their power, class and deep bench to wrap the 70-minute match and continue to dominate Group A.

Coach Roger Gorayeb had the luxury of sitting out his stars in some stretches and still steer the team to the convincing victory. Alyssa Valdez, the league’s early scoring leader with 47 points in two games, didn’t see action in the entire second set and still finished with eight markers.

Middle hitter Marge Tejada also chipped in eight hits, including three service aces, while taking some respite, together with Cainglet, in the third frame.

Meanwhile, The Ateneo-Letran match will be aired at 1 p.m. today on GMA News TV Channel 11 with the Perpetual Help-Arellano faceoff to be shown tomorrow, also at 1 p.m., according to the organizing Sports Vision.

It was the defending back-to-back champions third win in row following a straight-set win over the UST Tigresses and a four-setter over the San Sebastian Lady Stags in the league sponsored by Shakey’s and backed by Mikasa and Accel.

Daquis, the former FEU and Army star, came away with 10 kills to lead the Lady Eagles’ 42-spike production, nearly doubling their rivals’ paltry 24-kill output. Daquis also had two blocks while Cainglet had nine kills and four service aces.

Jem Ferrer orchestrated Ateneo’s offense with 20 of the team’s 26 excellent sets while Cainglet and Beatriz Tan came through with 13 of the Lady Eagles’ 31 digs to underscore their domination of the Lady Knights, who could only churn out 20 digs and 10 sets.

Thai reinforcement Patcharee Sangmuang delivered 16 attacks but Letran could only draw eight hits from Melissa Cu and three points from fellow guest player Melissa Ogana.

It was Letran’s second straight loss with the Muralla-based squad needing to sweep its last two elims games against San Sebastian and UST to stay in the quarterfinal hunt.

Arellano rebounded from a tight third set loss with an equally thrilling win in the fourth as it carved out a 25-18, 25-19, 25-27, 26-24 decision over University of Perpetual Help to boost its quarterfinal bid in Group B.

Nerissa Bautista and Mary Jean Balse continued to dish out fine form as they scored 19 hits a piece while Elaine Sagun and Shirly Salamagos combined for 23 points as the Lady Chiefs picked up their second straight win after bowing to the National U Lady Bulldogs in last week’s opener.

After dropping a heartbreaker in the extended third set, the Lady Chiefs took control late in the fourth and led at 24-21. But the Lady Altas won the next three points to force a tie but the Legarda-based squad took the next two points to take the set and the match.

Guest player Joy Cases blasted 14 hits while Honey Rose Tubino and April Sartin added 12 points apiece for the debuting Perpetual Help, which played without last year’s Open Conference MVP Sandra delos Santos.