Lady Bulldogs Stay Alive, Oust Falcons

Games Sunday
2 p.m. – Perpetual vs USLS
4 p.m. – SSC vs FEU
6 p.m. – UST vs Ateneo

National U out-steadied Adamson in a grueling first set duel then hung tough to hack out a 29-27, 25-20, 25-23 victory and stave off elimination in the ninth Shakey’s V-League Presented by Smart at The Arena in San Juan late Thursday.

Dindin Santiago rammed in 26 kills out of 50 attempts for a high 52 percent performance as she powered the Lady Bulldogs to the inspiring win that kept their flickering semis hopes alive.

But with a 1-4 card, in a tie with FEU, NU needs to sweep its last two games against fancied teams San Sebastian and UST and hope that Perpetual Help (3-1) and SSC (2-2) won’t go over three wins to force a playoff for the last Final Four berth.

Myla Pablo backed Santiago with 12 hits while Maricar Nepomuceno and Carmina Aganon combined for 15 points for the Lady Bulldogs, who held Adamson’s Nene Bautista to 17 points and Pau Soriano to 10 hits.

The loss was Adamson’s fifth against a lone win, booting out the Lady Falcons from the semis race in the season-opening conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza.

Defending champion Ateneo clinched the first semis slot with a four-set win over SSC, also last Thursday, stretching its win run to six and building the momentum and confidence it would need in the Final Four.

UST took the second Final Four seat with a 4-0 mark with Perpetual Help closing in on the third berth and SSC tipped to land the last semis seat in the event backed by Mikasa and Accel.

University of St. La Salle-Bacolod also stayed in the hunt with a straight-set victory over FEU as it improved to 2-4 although like the Lady Bulldogs and the Tams, the Lady Stingers must hurdle the Lady Altas tomorrow for a crack at the playoff for the last semis berth. –Dante Navarro

Lady Eagles Sustain Run, Stall Stags

Games Sunday
2 p.m. – Perpetual vs USLS
4 p.m. – SSC vs FEU
6 p.m. – UST vs Ateneo

Ateneo leaned on its gritty local crew to buck Jeng Bualee’s 30-hit explosion and subdue San Sebastian, 25-11, 23-25, 25-17, 25-19, as it stretched its win run to six in the ninth Shakey’s V-League Presented by Smart at The Arena in San Juan yesterday.

Already assured of the semis, the Lady Eagles still went for the win, pulling off the victory in 1:30 while stalling the Lady Stags march to the Final Four. SSC dropped to 2-2 and must win two of its last three games to advance in the season opening conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza.

Thai import Phee Nok Kesinee topscored for the Lady Eagles with 21 hits in her scoring duel with Bualee but Ateneo’s locals outhit their counterparts to power the defending champions to the victory.

Dzi Gervacio turned in another solid performance with 17 hits, including 11 kills, while Alyssa Valdez finished with 15 points, highlighted with four service aces. Fille Cainglet also chipped in 11 points Jam Ferrer kept the team’s play in motion with 43 excellent sets.

Joy Benito made nine hits while Rubie de Leon added eight points for SSC, which hopes to bounce back against FEU on Sunday before clashing with National U and Perpetual Help next week.

UST, the former six-time champion in the league backed by Mikasa and Accel, is a cinch to nail the second Final Four slot with a 4-0 mark while Perpetual is in third with a 3-1 slate.

Earlier, University of St. La Salle-Bacolod flashed top form and swept Far Eastern U, 25-11, 25-22, 25-15, to pump life into its sagging semis bid with a 2-4 mark.

Needing a victory to stay in the semis race, the Lady Stingers did just that, turning in their best performance thus far in the tournament with five players churning out double-digit scores to post the win.

Although they hardly improved at fifth place, USLS still kept its slim chance for a playoff for the last semis berth in the season-opening conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza and backed by Mikasa and Accel.

Sheryl Denila stepped up to fire 14 hits while Royce Quijano tossed in 12 points, guest player Jovelyn Gonzaga and Gianes Dolar each had 11 markers and Patty Orendain added 10 points.

The Lady Stingers asserted their might on the net, ramming in 46 hills as against FEU’s measly 25-point output with Denila spearheading the attack with 12 and Quijano backing her up with 10.

The Lady Tams tried to put up a fight in the second but lost steam in the end and were completely outplayed by the fired-up Stingers in the third.

FEU dropped to 1-4 in a tie with Adamson. -Dante Navarro

Lady Stags Go for Semis Playoff vs Eagles

Team Standing

Quarters Win Loss
admu
 ADMU
60
UST
 UST
40
uphsd
 UPHSD
31
sscr
 SSC-R
22
usls
 USLS
24
feu
 FEU
14
nu
 NU
14
adu
 AdU
15

Games today
2 p.m. – FEU vs USLS
4 p.m. – Ateneo vs SSC
6 p.m. – National U vs Adamson

San Sebastian takes on Ateneo today, seeking no less than a victory and at least a playoff for a semifinal berth even as two struggling teams try to stay in the hunt in the quarterfinal round in the ninth Shakey’s V-League Presented by Smart at The Arena in San Juan.

Toting a 2-1 card, the Lady Stags duel with the defending champions at 4 p.m., hoping to dish out their best against the league’s best in an explosive match expected to go down-to-the-wire.

Although assured of a Final Four spot with an unbeaten 5-0 mark, the Lady Eagles are also expected to go for a win in their determined bid to go all the way to another championship in the league sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza.

Jeng Bualee of SSC and Ateneo’s Phee Nok Kesinee are likely to neutralize each other out in a duel of Thai imports, leaving the fight for the local crew of both squads to decide.

Ateneo actually has the slight edge with Alyssa Valdez, Dzi Gervacio, Fille Cainglet, Gretchen Ho and Jam Ferrer playing cohesive ball since the elims. But Joy Benito is expected to step up for SSC in this key match along with Dafna Robinos, Karen Bernano, Rubie de Leon and Ara Mallare with support from Mae Crisostomo, Joy Corpuz, Bea Uy and Jolina Labiano.

Far Eastern U and Adamson, meanwhile, shoot for a pair of wins against University of St. La Salle-Bacolod and National U, respectively, to keep their slim hopes alive in the tournament backed by Mikasa and Accel.

UST, with a 4-0 slate, is a cinch to clinch the second semis berth while Perpetual Help, with a 3-1 card, has the inside track for the No. 3 seat in the Final Four.

A victory by SSC will make it tougher for FEU and Adamson to gain a crack at the playoff for the last semis seat but the Lady Tams and the Falcons will surely be gunning for victories just the same.

FEU and USLS battle at 2 p.m. while Adamson collides with NU in the 6 p.m. main game. NU has a 0-3 mark while USLS is out with a 0-4 slate.

The first two games will be aired on a delayed basis on AKTV-13 starting at 7 tonight, according to the organizing Sports Vision. –Dante Navarro

Lady Eagles Seek Semis vs Falcons

Games today
2 p.m. – Univ. of St. La Salle-National U
4 p.m. – Adamson vs Ateneo

Ateneo tries to formalize its stint in the semifinal round as it takes on an embattled Adamson side today even as National U and University of St. La Salle-Bacolod knock each other out in the quarterfinals of the ninth Shakey’s V-League Presented by Smart at The Arena in San Juan.

The Lady Eagles swept the Lady Stingers last Sunday to assure themselves of at least playoff for a semis seat with a pacesetting 4-0 slate, matched later by the former six-time defending champion UST Tigresses, who survived a gritty FEU squad, 25-19, 25-16, 24-26, 25-16.

But the Lady Falcons, bannered by former MVP Nene Bautista and Pau Soriano, will go all-out for a win not only to stop the Eagles’ run but more importantly to keep their semis hopes in the tournament sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza and backed by Mikasa and Accel.

With a 1-3 mark, Adamson, which dropped a close three-setter to Perpetual Help, also last Sunday, is in fifth behind Perpetual Help (3-1) and San Sebastian (2-1) and must sweep its last three games to remain in the race.

Gametime is at 4 p.m.

Equally interesting is the 2 p.m. clash between NU and USLS in a duel of winless squads with the winner keeping its flickering Final Four chances alive.

Ateneo, led by Dzi Gervacio, Fille Cainglet, Alyssa Valdez and Thai import Phee Nok Kesinee, is looking good at this stage of its title-retention campaign with the Lady Eagles itching to pile up another victory as they brace for two tough matches – against the SSC Lady Stags on Thursday and the fancied Tigresses on Sunday.

Meanwhile, today’s twinbill will be aired on a delayed basis starting at 7 tonight on AKTV-13, according to the organizing Sports Vision. The matches, however, can be viewed on live streaming on www.v-league.ph. –Dante Navarro

Lady Eagles, Tigresses Step Up Semis Drive

Quarters Win Loss
admu
 ADMU
60
UST
 UST
40
uphsd
 UPHSD
31
sscr
 SSC-R
22
usls
 USLS
24
feu
 FEU
14
nu
 NU
14
adu
 AdU
15

Games today
2 p.m. – Perpetual Help vs Adamson
4 p.m. – Ateneo vs Univ. of St. La Salle
6 p.m. – FEU vs UST

Defending champion Ateneo and former six-time winner University of Santo Tomas step up their drive in the ninth Shakey’s V-League Presented by Smart as they take on separate rivals today (Sunday) at the start of the quarterfinal round at The Arena in San Juan.

Carrying the best records (3-0) after sweeping their respective groups in the elims, the Lady Eagles and the Tigresses set out as the favorites against the University of St. La Salle-Bacolod Lady Stingers and the Far Eastern U Lady Tams, respectively, hoping to pull away from the pack in another single round phase.

Ateneo, which dropped just two sets in dominating Group A, battles USLS (0-3) at 4 p.m. while UST, which posted a more impressive record of three shutout wins and a 3-1 rout in topping Group B, collides with FEU (1-2) in the 6 p.m. main game.

NCAA champion Perpetual Help (2-1) likewise tries to boost its own semis bid in the league sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza and backed by Mikasa and Accel as it squares off with Adamson (1-2) in the 2 p.m. opener.

Games can be viewed live via streaming on www.v-league.ph.

Meanwhile, the first two games will be aired on AKTV-13 beginning at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Monday). Games on Tuesdays and Thursdays are shown on a delayed basis on the same day, also starting at 7 p.m.

AKTV will also air the previous games in the league’s season-opening conference, including the third matches in a number of triple-bills on its cable channel Hyper, according to the organizing Sports Vision.

National University (0-3) will see action on Tuesday against USLS while the last quarterfinalist San Sebastian College (2-1) get to play on Thursday against powerhouse Ateneo.

The Lady Eagles boast of a solid crew led by Fille Cainglet, Alyssa Valdez, Gretchen Ho, setter Jam Ferrer and the league’s top blocker Dzi Gervacio with Thai import Phee Nok Kesinee providing added firepower.

But the Lady Stingers are expected to pour it all out and spring a surprise on a team built around Patty Orendain, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Sheryl Denila, Royce Quijano, Catherine Abayon and Gianes Dolar.

UST, on the other hand, will pin its hopes again on Judy Caballejo, Mary Jane Balse, Maika Ortiz, Maruja Banaticla and tall Thai import and the league’s leading spiker Utaiwan Kaensing against an FEU side bannered by Thai Eve Sanorseang, Jen Manzano, Wenneth Eulalio, Rosemarie Vargas, Mary Rose Baniel and elims top setter Gyzelle Sy. –Dante Navarro

Lady Falcons Foil Knights, Gain Quarters

Adamson held off Letran in four to formalize its stint in the quarterfinals while towing University of St. La Salle-Bacolod into the next round in the ninth Shakey’s V-League Presented by Smart at The Arena in San Juan yesterday.

Nene Bautista rammed in a power kill over two Letran defenders to cap the Lady Falcons’ 25-18, 25-16, 14-25, 25-22 victory in 1:28.

Adamson, which dropped its first two games, thus closed out with a 2-2 mark to join Group B mates San Sebastian College and University of Santo Tomas in the Last 8 with USLS taking the last berth with a 1-3 slate.

Letran bowed out of the race with a 0-4 mark, the same card posted by Southwestern U in Group A of the two-division tournament sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza.

Bautista, a former MVP, finished with 22 hits, including 17 kills, while Pau Soriano added 16 points for the Lady Falcons, who slowed down in the third set, enabling the Lady Knights to extend the match.

Thai import Patcharee Sangmuang made 16 kills while Joy Casas made 10 hits for the Lady Knights, who kept the game close in the fourth but just couldn’t sustain their fightback and missed forcing a playoff for the last quarters berth.

Earlier, NCAA champion University of Perpetual Help primed up for the quarters with a straight-set 25-21, 25-17, 25-20 victory over Far Eastern U.

Thai import Kunbang Pornpimol unloaded 13 attacks and finished with 17 hits, while Sandra delos Santos fired 12 points and Honey Royse Tubino chipped in 11 markers for the Lady Altas, who finished second to unbeaten Ateneo (4-0) in Group A with a 3-1 card at the end of the single round elims of the event backed by Mikasa and Accel and organized by Sports Vision.

The Lady Altas overpowered the Tams, 44-30, in spikes and dominated their rivals on defense upfront with 10 blocks against FEU’s four.

Guest players Jen Manzano and Eve Sanorseang had eight kills apiece to lead the Lady Tams, who threatened last in the third at 20-24 from nine points down as Rosemarie Vargas scored two straight and the Lady Altas committed three errors.

But Tubino, who had four blocks, soared with a kill to wrap up the match in 1:11 while dealing FEU its second loss in four games.

“The girls got tired towards the end but we drew up a play for Tubibo or Pornpimol, who are our big hitters,” said coach Mike Rafael in Filipino.

FEU captain Gyzelle Sy had 33 excellent sets with 102 attempts, while UPH’s setter Shyrra Cabriana converted 26 of her 104 attempts. – Dante Navarro

Adamson, Letran Dispute Quarters Berth


Former MVP Nene Bautista of Adamson scores on a kill against USLS’s Patty Orendain (5) and Gianes Dolar (15).

Games today
2 p.m. – FEU vs Perpetual
4 p.m. – Adamson vs Letran
6 p.m. – San Sebastian vs UST

Adamson and Letran clash today for one of the last two quarterfinal berths even as University of Santo Tomas and San Sebastian College duel for the top spot in Group B at the close of the elims in the ninth Shakey’s V-League Presented by Smart at The Arena in San Juan.

The Lady Falcons checked their skid by outsteadying University of St. La Salle-Bacolod in five, 25-20, 25-22, 24-26, 25-23, 15-9, last Tuesday as they bounced back into contention after losing their first two games in the single round elims of the league sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza.

With a 1-2 card, Adamson needs to hurdle winless Letran in the 4 p.m. match to advance to the Last 8. But the Lady Knights, with a 0-3 mark, are also in a must-win situation for a shot at a playoff for last quarters seat in Group B of the event backed by Mikasa and Accel.

Ateneo (4-0), Far Eastern U (2-1), Perpetual Help (2-1) and National U (1-3) took the first four quarters berths in Group A with the Lady Tams and the Lady Altas colliding for the No. 2 spot in the 2 p.m. opener of a triple-bill.

Meanwhile, the first two games will be aired on AKTV-13 beginning at 7 tonight as the organizing Sports Vision and AKTV finally came to terms to telecast the matches and give fans the chance to watch top-notch volley action featuring the country’s leading and rising players. Other telecast dates are Monday (for Sunday’s games) and Tuesday.

AKTV will also air the previous games in the league’s season-opening conference, including the third matches in a number of triple-bills on its cable channel Hyper.

Games can be viewed live via streaming on www.v-league.ph.

Focus will be on the Adamson-Letran contest with the Lady Falcons hoping to draw the best from former MVP Nene Bautista and mainstay Pau Soriano along with Angela Benting, Shiela Pineda, Faye Guevara and setter Theresa Piza.

Although they lost their first three games, the Lady Knights remain hopeful of pulling off a surprise against the Knights behind Thai reinforcement Patcharee Sangmuang and locals Joy Cases, Sarah Espelita, Gena Andaya, Marinelle Carolino, Melissa Cu and Jamaika Villas. –Dante Navarro

Lady Tams Silence Bulldogs, Reach Quarters

Far Eastern U pressed its bid early and pounded on National U’s defense upfront, scoring a 25-22, 25-15, 25-20 victory to advance to the quarterfinals in the ninth Shakey’s V-League Presented by Smart at The Arena in San Juan yesterday.

Rosemarie Vargas and Thai reinforcement Eve Sanorseang stood at the forefront of FEU’s attack, delivering 15 and nine kills, respectively, as the Lady Tams outhit the Lady Bulldogs, 47-36, to fashion out the win in 1:21.

The victory was FEU’s second in three games in Group A as it joined group-mate Ateneo (3-0) and Group B leaders San Sebastian (3-0) and University of Santo Tomas (2-0) in the quarterfinal round of the league’s season-opening conference sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza and backed by Mikasa and Accel.

The four teams in each group after a single round elims will advance to the next phase.

Ateneo likewise posted a three-set win against Southwestern University, 25-16, 25-19, 25-19, to sweep Group A with a 4-0 record in the second game.

Alyssa Valdez rammed in 10 kills and finished with 14 hits while Fille Cainglet slowed down with a nine-point game after a series of double-digit outputs for the Lady Eagles, who wrapped up the match and their elims stint in 66 minutes.

Gretchen Ho also shot nine points while Thai Phee Nok Kesinee and Dzi Gervacio added eight and seven hits, respectively, for the defending champions.

Princess Pido topscored for SWU with 12 points but failed to draw solid backup from the rest as Rapril Aguilar added eight and Danika Gendrauli struggled for five points for the Lady Cobras, who dropped to 0-3.

SWU needs to win against Perpetual Help tomorrow to force a playoff for the last quarters berth with NU.

Vargas wound up with 17 points while Sanorseang came away with three service aces to finish with 12. Guest player Jen Manzano and Wenneth Eulalio chipped in 10 hits apiece to underscore FEU’s balanced attack.

“We executed our game plan well,” said FEU coach Nes Pamilar, whose wards held NU to 36 conversions out of 100 spike attempts.

NU’s guest player Din-Din Santiago matched Vargas’ 17-hit output, all on kills, including three straight in the third set that moved the Lady Bulldogs closer to 20-24. But Vargas unloaded a cross-court attack set by Gyzelle Sy to seal the victory.

FEU complemented its superb offense with a solid net defense as it held Santiago to 17 points after scoring a whopping 31 kills against Southwestern U last week.

Myla Pablo had nine points while Maricar Nepomuceno added eight for the Lady Bulldogs, who commited 20 errors.

Sy set the ball well for the Lady Tams, including two set-closing hits for Vargas. She compiled 35 excellent sets. -Dante Navarro

FEU, NU Clash in Vital Tiff


Photo courtesy of Dondi Nolasco

Games today (Sunday)
2 p.m. – FEU vs NU
4 p.m. – SWU vs Ateneo
6 p.m. – UST vs USLS

Far Eastern U and National U collide today in a key match-up for a quarterfinal berth while Ateneo goes for a sweep of Group A against winless Southwestern U in the ninth Shakey’s V-League Presented by Smart at The Arena in San Juan today.

The Lady Tams swept the SWU Lady Cobras last Tuesday to bounce back from an opening day loss to Ateneo and stay in the hunt for a spot in the next round, also in Group A. But the Lady Bulldogs likewise rebounded from back-to-back setbacks with a win, also over the Cobras.

That makes the 2 p.m. match a crucial one for FEU and NU with the winner joining Ateneo in the next round of the tournament sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza and backed by Mikasa and Accel.

FEU hopes to neutralize the power-hitting Din-Din Santiago, who unloaded a whopping 31-hit game against SWU, and a gritty NU side that includes Maricar Nepomuceno, Rizza Mandapat and Myla Pablo, and build the needed momentum for its final elims match against reigning NCAA champion Perpetual Help.

FEU coach Nes Pamilar is expected to lean on mainstays Rosemarie Vargas, Wenneth Eulalio and Marie Basas while hoping that Thai reinforcement Eve Sanorseang to finally settle down with her game and complement with the team’s play patterns.

Defending champion Ateneo, meanwhile, is fancied to get past SWU in the 4 p.m. match for a sweep of the single round elims even as University of St. La Salle-Bacolod seeks to seal a quarters seat in Group B against former six-time champion and qualifier University of Santo Tomas in the 6 p.m. main game.

For live streaming of the games, log on to www.v-league.ph, according to the organizing Sports Vision.

The Lady Stingers ousted the Letran Lady Knights in a five-setter last Thursday to keep its quarters hope alive with a 1-1 card although they need to work doubly hard against the Tigresses, who swept their first two matches against Letran and Adamson. –Dante Navarro

Thais Bat for Locals’ International Exposure


Photo by Dondi Nolasco

Games tomorrow
2 p.m. – FEU vs NU
4 p.m. – SWU vs Ateneo
6 p.m. – UST vs USLS

San Sebastian College reinforcement Jeng Bualee said that the Philippines has got what it takes to become a regional power in women’s volleyball again but badly needs international exposure.

“It is hard to say if the Philippines can match other countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia because they do not join international matches,” said the 28-year-old Bualee, a resident import of one-time Shakey’s V-League champion SSC, having been with the team since 2005 with eight individual awards to boast of.

The Philippines established itself as a volley power in Southeast Asia in the early 90s but lost its ranking since with poor showing until Sports Vision and Shakey’s linked up to put up the V-League in 2004.

And the level of Filipino play can only get better.

“They are better now than before, not only my team but the other teams as well. They play good now and they learned well from other Thai players,” said Bualee, a former Thai pro star who also suits up for a Vietnam squad.

“When I first came here, some only play to enjoy, but now many of them already know how to win games,” said Bualee. “I think they (Filipino players) should learn from other countries, because there are many good players from Thailand and Vietnam.”

“I want more players to learn how to win, how to learn from their opponents, and how to prepare for international games,” said Bualee, the leading scorer in the current ninth Shakey’s V-League.

For her part, Ateneo’s three-time import Phee Nok Kesinee said she always looks forward to playing for the Lady Eagles not only to help them win championships but also help develop the sport.

“Ateneo and I are very close. My feelings are still with them,” said the 31-year-old Thai national player, who played for the Lady Eagles back in 2007 and 2011 seasons of the league.

“When I came back, everyone is better, even the other teams are quicker and stronger now,” said the 31-year-old Kesinee, who played for the Lady Eagles back in 2007 and 2011 seasons of the league and also saw action in Australia and Germany. “They (women’s volleyball players) do not have a lot of fans, but I think they are good.”

“If more people will watch and play, I think they (Filipino players) can become contenders again and I think they can win,” said Kesinee, who won last year’s MVP honors while powering Ateneo to the first conference championship.

Meanwhile, Ateneo outclassed NCAA champion Perpetual Help, 25-14, 25-20, 25-13, late Thursday to move within a win from sweeping the elims in Group A of the ninth Shakey’s V-League Presented by Smart at The Arena in San Juan.

Fille Cainglet continued to flash fine form, knocking down 10 kills and finishing with 12 hits, the same output put in by Thai Phee Nok Kesinee, who also had three blocks.

The Lady Eagles dominated the Altas on the net, 42-25, and finished with six blocks against their rivals two as the defending champions primed up for a sweep of the elims against the winless Southwestern U side tomorrow and the upcoming quarterfinal phase.

Perpetual Help dropped to 1-1 in a tie with FEU. –Dante Navarro