Tigresses toughen up for V-League quarterfinal

MANILA, Philippines - University of Santo Tomas routed San Sebastian, 25-22, 25-15, 25-17, yesterday to finish in a flourish in the group stages of the Shakey’s V-League Season 12-Collegiate Conference at The Arena in San Juan City.

Pam Lastimosa and EJ Laure fired 14 and 12 hits, including 13 and nine on kills, respectively, while Chloida Cortez chipped in 10 markers, including three on kills and one ace as they powered UST to a 4-1 campaign in Group B of the single round elims of the mid-season conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s.

The Alyssa Valdez-led Ateneo Eagles, the reigning UAAP champions, swept the group with five wins in the tournament presented by PLDT Home Ultera.

“Our initial goal is to make it to the quarters and we’re happy to make it there. Now we’ll gun for the semis,” said UST coach Kung Fu Reyes.

La Salle-Dasmariñas checked its skid in time and outlasted St. Benilde in the decider to snatch a 25-19, 25-21, 15-25, 18-25, 16-14 victory and snare the last quarterfinal berth late last night.

With San Sebastian dropping a straight-set setback to UST earlier, La Salle-Dasma went into full throttle against St. Benilde and took the first two sets but succumbed to pressure in the next two, needing to regroup in the fifth to gain passage in the next round.

The Lady Patriots thus tied the Lady Blazers at third with 2-3 marks at the close of the elims and will join the unbeaten Ateneo and UST in the next round.

The two-hour La Salle-Dasma win likewise slammed the door shut on SSC and TIP, which finished with 1-4 cards and were hoping for a St. Benilde victory to force a three-way tie for fourth.

Earlier, the Tigresses bucked the absence of Carmela Tunay, out with a fractured nose she suffered in a win over Technological Institute of the Philippines last week.

“She’s not yet cleared to play,” said Reyes of Tunay.

Gretchel Soltones, a member of the national team that vied in the Asian Under-23 Championship last May and the SEA Games in Singapore last June, returned to her old spiker post after playing libero early in the conference due to a dislocated shoulder.

But the power-hitting Soltones failed to score a hit while playing limited minutes in the tightly fought opening set.

Jolina Labiano carried the fight for the Lady Stags  with 11 attacks.

It was a tough loss for SSC, which came out strong in a bid to nail the all important win for a spot in the next round of the tournament backed by Mikasa and Accel.

In the other game, University of Batangas overcame Polytechnic University of the Philippines’ Jane Romo and Lourdes Clemente’s combined 49-hit explosion and hacked out a stirring 19-25, 25-22, 25-22, 28-26 victory to close out its campaign on a winning note.