Arellano pounds Southwestern U in Shakey’s V-League

MANILA, Philippines – Arellano U sent Cebu champion Southwestern U back to Earth with a quick, merciless 25-15, 25-17, 25-19 rout to join reigning UAAP champion Ateneo atop Group A in the Shakey's V-League Season 11-1st Conference at The Arena in San Juan City Thursday.

Dana Henson led her team as she unloaded 13 hits and sat out the third and final set as the Lady Chiefs, coming off a breakthrough second place finish in the NCAA in the just concluded Season 89, cruised to their first win in as many outing.

Arellano U's win was a prelude to a bigger battle as it tangles with Ateneo, which hurdled Adamson, 25-19, 18-25, 25-23, 26-24, in last week's opener, next as the winner seizes the solo lead in their bracket.

"We really prepared hard for this match. It's good for our confidence," said Arellano U coach Roberto Javier, who steered the Legarda-based lady spikers to a decent quarterfinal finish last year.

It also settled an old score for Arellano.

"It's also good to win against the team that beat us in a tune up game two years ago," said Javier.

The Lady Cobras fell to their first loss after edging Baguio City's St. Louis Lady Navigators, 25-20, 23-25, 25-15, 21-25, 19-17, Tuesday.

Christine joy Rosario and Menchie Ticar provided Henson with ample support as the two combined for 20 hits.

So lopsided was the game that Javier had the luxury of bringing in his second stringers in the third set.

Angelica Legacion also served as the adhesive that kept the Lady Chiefs together as she came through with 24 excellent sets.

In the other game, Adamson rode on the shoulders of the dynamic troika of Mylene Paat, Jessica Margarett Galanza and Sheila Pineda as it overpowered St. Louis of Baguio, 25-10, 25-10, 25-20, to join the win column with a 1-1 (win-loss) slate.

Paat took care of the defense as she scored four of her game-high 11 hits off the block, while Galanza and Pineda were busy unleashing kills as the two combined for 17 spikes to help seal it for the Lady Falcons.

The Lady Navigators fell to their second defeat in as many games.