Adamson 3, Ateneo 1
The same squad that denied Ateneo from winning the crown in the first conference continued to show their dominance.
The Adamson Lady Falcons won in a highly contested 25-22, 15-25, 25-23, 25-21 win against the Lady Eagles last November 4 at The Arena. Though Ateneo had the second set, Adamson had the Eagles’ number in the other three sets. The Lady Eagles have lost three straight games and are on the lower half of the team standings.
Along with a game-high 22 points from guest player Michelle Laborte and 11 hits by Charo Soriano, Adamson provided adequate floor defense and prevented the Lady Eagles from building any momentum from their second set victory.
Adamson had enough firepower to bring down the Eagles. Reigning MVP Nerissa Bautista and Rissa Laguilles fired spike after spike that turned the tide towards Adamson’s favor as they took a 19-15 lead in the fourth set.
Ateneo regrouped, as they made a final stand by taking a 21-20 advantage. In the end, Ateneo was unable to force a deciding set, allowing Adamson to run away with the win.
Lady Spiker Misha Quimpo (III BS CTM) said the team needs the tournament to gain the experience they will need come UAAP season. “Kahit na natatalo rin kami (even if we’re losing), the rookies are gaining valuable experience by playing against and with experienced players.”
La Salle 3, Ateneo 1
Ateneo dropped their second game in a row last October 28 at The Arena, this time to DLSU, 25-21, 25-15, 21-25, 26-24.
Although Ateneo took the third set, DLSU was able to recover. The Lady Archers found enough gas to pull out the win.
With the Archers ahead 19-10 in the fourth set, Ateneo raced to a 14-5 run that brought the game into a tiebreaker. However, Ateneo was unable to capitalize, as Archer Jacqueline Alarca blocked rookie Angeline Gervacio (I AB PoS) to seal the victory.
The Lady Archers, winners of three previous championships, are making strides to make another final four appearance and have done so by beating quality teams throughout the elimination round.
With reports from Jandric C. Lim
