Shakey’s V-League: Lady Stags foil Archers anew, gain finals

    Posted by GREENARCHERS.PH

San Sebastian went through another wringer and like the last time out, came out of it a winner, nipping La Salle, 21-25, 25-17, 20-25, 28-26, 15-9, to barge into the championship round of the Shakey’s V-League second conference at The Arena in San Juan City today.

Jennelyn Belen took over from Charisse Ancheta to set the plays for San Sebastian in the fourth and fifth sets, which the Stags won in close fashions to complete their two-game sweep of the three-time champions.

San Sebastian also bucked La Salle’s season-high 22 blocks with a flurry of kills, including 23 from top-hitter Laurence Ann Latigay, who scored on quick plays and power hits to finish with 27. She also had four blocks.

“La Salle‘s blocking was impressive and I gambled on Belen because Ancheta played below par. It’s a good thing that our offense clicked in the fourth and fifth sets,” said SSC coach Roger Gorayeb.

Guest player Suzanne Roces backed Latigay with 17 points while Analyn Joy Benito tossed in 13 hits for San Sebastian, which reached the finals of the league, sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza, for the fourth time.

The Archers, who fought back from two sets down only to drop a 25-21, 25-19, 22-25, 20-25, 15-9 setback in Game One last Friday, looked headed for a Game Three when Celine Hernandez scored on a block for a 26-25 La Salle lead in the fourth frame.

But Rysabelle Devanadera countered with two blocks of her own off Charleen Cruz and Stephanie Mercado’s hit went wide, enabling San Sebastian to snatch the set win and force another decider.
Sustaining the momentum, SSC went to Benito who unloaded back-to-back service aces in the fifth frame while Latigay came through with two kills as the Stags raced away at 9-3.

The Lady Archers closed to within, 8-11, on Mercado’s service winner but Jacqueline Alarca fumbled with two errors and Roces came up with a block to clinch the point, the set and the match for the Recoletors-based squad.

Devanadera added nine hits, the bulk of which came from Belen’s set plays in the last two frames.
La Salle played impressively on net defense with Cruz and Alarca coming up with seven blocks apiece although these proved not enough to carry the Lady Archers past the Stags.

Alarca finished with 22 points while Cruz and Manilla Santos had 17 and 13 hits for La Salle.

University of Santo Tomas drew 49 points from Venus Bernal and Mary Jean Balse as the Tigresses pulled off a tough 15-25, 30-28, 26-24, 25-22 victory over Adamson to force a sudden death for the other championship berth.

The three-time champion Tigresses, who dropped a 25-22, 25-18, 22-25, 25-23 setback to the Lady Falcons in their series’ opener last Friday, showed their championship experience as they fought back from a listless first set performance with a superb offensive game in the next three to foil their rivals’ sweep bid.

UST and Adamson, winner of the first conference, dispute the second finals berth in a winner-take-all match on Tuesday. (http://www.v-league.ph)

Shakey’s V-League Semis – La Salle drops Game 1

    Posted by GREENARCHERS.PH

Shakey’s V-League: Adamson trims La Salle

    Posted by GREENARCHERS.PH

http://www.v-league.ph/news/?p=837

First conference champion Adamson continued to sizzle as it brought down three-time winner La Salle with a 25-20, 25-18, 25-23 victory today to wrest the lead in the Shakey’s V-League second conference at The Arena in San Juan City.

MVP Nerissa Bautista came through with another power game for Adamson, which also drew inspiration from a pair of rookies to stretch its win run to four after an opening day loss to surge ahead of the eight-team field in the league sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza.

“Nene (Bautista) has been playing inspired game,” said Adamson coach Dulce Pante. “We’re winning because we train very hard and it shows in our rookies.”

The loss was La Salle’s second straight after sweeping its first four games, dropping the Lady Archers to second, their outright semis bid derailed for the second straight time.

Bautista rammed in 22 hits, including 19 kills, while Angela Benting added 15 points for Adamson, which also drew a combined 10-point effort from Paulina Soriano, a product of Rondon High School-QC., and Angelica Quinlog of Antipolo.

Adamson, which swept Ateneo to claim the first conference crown in the league organized by Sports Vision, seized control early, racing to a 15-5 lead only to sputter in the face of Jacqueline Alarca-led La Salle’s fightback at 19-21.

But the Taft-based spikers failed to sustain their charge and Bautista combined with Benting to seal the first set win for Adamson.

The Lady Falcons controlled the second frame but the Lady Archers tried to stave off a sweep when they went ahead at 21-20 on Alarca’s back-to-back hits.

Benting, however, took over and presided Adamson’s counterttack, including a service ace, that netted four straight points for a 24-21 lead. But Manilla Santos came away with a kill and Charleen Cruz scored on a block as the Lady Archers closed to within one again.

But Bautista delivered her 19th spike through Alarca’s defense as Adamson took the set, the match and the solo lead.

Alarca wound up with 14 hits while Santos had nine points for La Salle.

GAME PHOTOS AT: http://greenarchersph.multiply.com/photos/album/48/NOV_7_AdU

Shakey’s V-League: Tigresses stop Archers

    Posted by GREENARCHERS.PH

From http://www.v-league.ph/news/?p=833

University of Santo Tomas foiled La Salle’s outright Final Four bid with a thrilling five-set win today, boosting its own semis drive in the Shakey’s V-League second conference at The Arena in San Juan.

Alumna Venus Bernal uncorked a powerful smash off Denise Tan’s feed that pierced through La Salle’s defenders as UST snatched a tough 17-25, 25-22, 25-23, 17-25, 16-14 win to join San Sebastian and Far Eastern U in third place with 2-1 marks.

“We didn’t think that La Salle has won four straight games. We just stayed focused and believed in ourselves. We always believe that we can beat them,” said UST coach Cesael delos Santos after the two-hour encounter.

The loss stalled La Salle’s march to the semis round as the Lady Archers dropped to 4-1, just a game ahead of Adamson, which earlier trounced Ateneo, 25-22, 15-25, 25-23, 25-21, for its third win in four starts.

Guest player Mary Jean Balse and Bernal combined for 39 hits while rookie Judy Ann Caballejo added 10 points for the Tigresses, who with the Lady Archers have won three crowns each in the league sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza.

Manilla Santos took charge for La Salle with 22 hits while Jacqueline Alarca made 19 points, including five blocks.

GAME PHOTOS AT http://greenarchersph.multiply.com/photos/album/45/Nov_4_VS_UST