MANILA, Philippines -- Phl Navy hung tough enough in the first two sets to take the fight out of Far Eastern U and hammer out a 25-23, 25-23, 25-17 victory, its first in the Shakey's V-League Season 10 Open Conference at The Arena in San Juan City Sunday.
Mic Mic Laborte came through with a solid, all-around play as she led all scorers with 12 hits including four on blocks as the Lady Sailors barged into the win column after dropping their first three matches.
Laborte, one of the league's most experienced players, got some needed help from the power-hitting Chris Rosale, who unloaded nine of her 10 hits off kills including some late in the first and second sets when Navy parried every FEU challenge.
"The key was the first two sets, it could have turned the other way around," said Navy coach Zenaida Chavez in Filipino.
The Shaq delos Santos-mentored Lady Tams, who are using this tournament to prepare for the coming UAAP Season 76 volleyball wars, were in the game the first two sets as they kept the Lady Sailors guessing superb court coverage.
But FEU just didn't have an answer to the duo of Laborte and Rosale and was never the same in the third set after failing to cash in on their chances in the earlier sets.
The Morayta-based lady spikers fell to their fifth defeat in row.