Arellano, San Sebastian open NCAA volleyball campaigns with wins
THE women’s volleyball tournament of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 93 kicked off yesterday with the Arellano University Lady Chiefs and San Sebastian Lady Stags booking opening-day wins against separate opponents.
Defending champion Arellano got its title defense to a winning start by downing the Mapua University Lady Cardinals, 25- 10, 25-17 and 25-13, while the Recto-based Lady Stags shut out the Emilio Aguinaldo College Lady Generals, 25-16, 25-19 and 25-16, in the double- header played at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
Arellano had a fast start to establish control and just held its own and kept its opponent at bay the rest of the way to notch the victory.
The Lady Chiefs steamrolled their way in the opening frame, charging to a 15- 6 lead in the early goings, which they would use as a platform to put the set away.
Mapua would find its bearing in the second set, holding their own and staying in the game, down by the just three points, 16- 13, at the second technical timeout.
The Lady Cardinals managed to narrow their deficit further, 18-16, before the Legarda-based Lady Chiefs pulled away to go up two sets to none.
Just like in the second set, the third frame got off to a competitive start but Princess Bello and Mary Anne Esguerra would tow Arellano to create some separation, 8- 4, in the first technical knockout and then, 16- 6, in the second.
Arellano thereafter put on the finishing touches and parked the win.
Regine Arocha paced the Lady Chiefs’ attack with 12 points with rookie setter Sara Verutiao producing 28 excellent sets to go along with six hits to compensate for the absence of starter Rhea Ramirez who was rested because of a shoulder injury.
Andrea Marzan had nine points while Esguerra had eight.
Dianne Latayan led Mapua with six points with Patria Peña ending up with five points.
“We really prepared for this season. We will continue playing hard as the season progresses because we know the Arellano community is expecting us to defend the title,” said Verutiao, named player of the game, after.
POST-SOLTONES
San Sebastian, meanwhile, started its campaign in the postGrethcel Soltones era with a convincing three-sets win over EAC.
The losing finalists last season, the Lady Stags relied on balance and far better steadiness on the court to complete the shutout of the Lady Generals and book their first win in the new season.
The Lady Stags, playing with just nine players in their roster, got off strong to start the opening set, establishing a 12-7 lead midway into it before racing to claim the frame with a nine-point separation, 25-16.
They continued to dominate in the second set albeit facing a tougher challenge from the Lady Generals, who are angling to improve on their one-win season last year.
But San Sebastian would withstand the charge of EAC to book the second set, 25-19.
The third frame saw the Lady Generals building on the momentum that they got in the second set, keeping in step with Lady Stags up to the halfway point.
Led by Dau Santos, however, San Sebastian would separate itself anew thereafter and never looked back en route to the victory.
Santos was one of four Lady Stags who scored 13 points each, nine coming from kills and four service aces.
The other players with 13 markers were Nikka Dalisay, Dangie Encarnacion and Joyce Sta. Rita.
Leading the way for EAC, meanwhile, were Jaylene Lumbo and Ladeisheen Magbanua with six points each.
“We expect a tough season because we lost a lot of players. We would be happy to just survive and maybe finish in the Final Four,” said San Sebastian coach Roger Gorayeb after their win.
Games today also at the FilOil Flying V Centre will see the College of St. Benilde Lady Blazers against the Letran Lady Knights at 11 a. m. and the Jose Rizal University Lady Bombers versus the San Beda Red Lionesses at 12: 30 p. m. —