MANILA, Philippines – Arellano University edged defending champion Perpetual Help, 17-25, 27-25, 29-27, 25-23, on Friday to move a step closer to booking a return trip to the finals in the 90th NCAA women's volleyball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City Friday.
Power-hitting Danna Henson and Menchie Tubiera led their team with 17 and 16 points, respectively, while scoring key hits in the final three sets when the Lady Chiefs overhauled an opening set defeat and turned it into a win.
It was the second straight semis win for Arellano, which will need to beat College of St. Benilde (1-1) on Monday to advance to the best-of-three finals that was rescheduled from Jan. 14 to Jan. 21 due to the Papal visit.
The Lady Chiefs, who came a set from winning their first volleyball crown since joining the league before dropping a five-setter in the deciding Game Three to the Lady Altas last year, also kept their unbeaten streak at 11 including nine in the elimination round.
Perpetual Help, which dropped a stinging 24-26, 22-25, 18-25 loss to St. Benilde Monday, fell to its second straight defeat and on the brink of being dethroned.
The Las Pinas-based Lady Spikers though still have a chance to make it to their fourth straight finals appearance if they could beat the San Sebastian Lady Stags and the Lady Blazers lose to the Lady Chiefs on Monday.
If it happens, Arellano advances to the best-of-three finals for the second straight year while Perpetual will end up in a three-way logjam for No. 2 with San Sebastian and St. Benilde on 1-2 records.
San Sebastian stayed on the hunt and made things a little complicated after it pulled the rug from under St. Benilde, 25-22, 25-21, 26-24.
The Lady Stags could advance themselves if they could pull the rug from under the Lady Chiefs in the final day of the semis.
"We need to always pray with urgency, show high intensity each game. If we will show that kind of attitude, we have a chance to win," said San Sebastian coach Roger Gorayeb in Filipino.