Lady Chiefs defang Cobras in 3

Games Sunday

2 p.m. – NU vs UST

4 p.m. – Ateneo vs Arellano

MANILA, Philippines - Arellano University came out smoking and used its power game to blast Southwestern U, 25-15, 25-17, 25-19, and join idle Ateneo in the lead in Group A of the Shakey’s V-League Season 11 First Conference at The Arena in San Juan yesterday.

The Lady Chiefs, with Cristine Joy Rosario and Danna Henson on the firing end, imposed their will early and sustained their charge to finish off the Cobras, who came off a grueling five-set win over the St. Louis U Lady Navigators last Tuesday, in just one hour and 15 minutes.

The Legarda-based spikers, runners-up in this year’s NCAA, came away with 49 attacks, including 10 each from Rosario and Henson, more than doubling the 22-kill production of the Lady Navigators, who also struggled off the serve.

“We really prepared hard for this match and this win will surely boost their confidence,” said Arellano coach Roberto Javier, whose wards are bunched with Ateneo, Adamson, St. Benilde, SWU and St. Louie U in Group A of the two-group format.

The other side is composed of National U, UST, FEU, Perpetual Help, San Sebastian College and Davao.

In the other game, Adamson leaned on 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 even its card at 1-1 in a tie with SWU in Group A.

Paat had four blocks to highlight her 11-hit effort while Galanza and Pineda took care of the team’s offense by combining for 17 hits to help seal the victory for the Lady Falcons, who dropped a four-setter to UAAP champion Ateneo.

The Lady Navigators fell to 0-2.

The Lady Chiefs also made seven service aces compared to none by their rivals with Angelica Legacion producing all but two of Arellano’s 26 excellent sets and Jan Eunice Galang and Menchie Tubiera bucking SWU’s attackers with a combined 16-dig effort for a total of 24, 1 more than the Lady Cobras.

Henson topscored for Arellano with 13 hits despite seeing action only in the first two sets as Javier pulled her out in the third and let the rest get the job done. Rosario wound up with 12 points while Tubiera had eight, Shirley Salamagos made six and guest player Ronerry Dela Cruz and Elaine Sagun had five apiece.

No SWU player hit a double-digit score with Marlyn Llagoso, who fired 19 hits against SLU, struggled with just eight markers. Guest player Lutgarda Malaluan, who delivered 15 points the first time out, was held to just six as the Lady Cobras fell to 1-1 in Group A of the single-round robin elims of the league sponsored by Shakey’s and backed by Accel, Mikasa and Akari.

Janelle Cabahug chipped in four markers after a 12-hit production against SLU while Sheena Quino, who also debuted with 12 points, was held scoreless.

Meanwhile, the Arellano-SWU clash will be aired today starting at 1 p.m. on GMA News Channel to be followed by the Adamson-SLU duel, according to the organizing Sports Vision.