Ady Maroons wrest solo lead
Games today 12:45 p.m. – Kia Forte vs Navy 3 p.m. – Army vs PLDT Home Ultera
University of the Philippines (UP) disposed of Coast Guard with a 25-20, 25-22, 27-25 victory yesterday to seize the solo lead in the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Reinforced Conference at The Arena in San Juan.
Rookie Maria Lina Isabel Molde came through with 15 points, including 11 kills for the Lady Maroons as they posted their second straight victory in the conference.
The Lady Dolphins dropped to a 0-3 win-loss card.
Justin Dorog, likewise, sparkled with 11 points including eight attacks for UP, which dominated Coast Guard on all fronts despite the latter’s persistent attempts to get back.
Coast Guard fought back in the third set when it took a 17-15 lead, but UP kept its composure as Molde and Dorog took charge to tie it at 24-all.
The Lady Maroons, however, needed two match points to finish the match in their favor, with an unforced error from the Lady Dolphins ending the 78minute action.
None from Coast Guard scored more than 10 points with Rossan Fajardo finishing with nine points, and Samantha Dawson posting eight points.
Silently contributing for UP were Jewel Lai, who had 19 excellent sets, and Princess Gaiser, who finished with 13 excellent digs.
Overall, UP overpowered Coast Guard in attacks (33-25), blocks (9-6), and service aces (10-6) despite posting more errors (32-25).
“We just stayed focused especially in critical moments,” said UP coach Jerry Yee, who’s using the tournament as part of the team’s buildup for the UAAP volley wars early next year.
Meanwhile, action heats up today as Army and PLDT Home Ultera collide at 3 p.m. in what could be a preview of the championship, capping another weekend of volley festival where matches are aired live over GMA News TV Channel 11.
Navy and Kia Forte mix it up in the 12:45 p.m. opener of another explosive twinbill.
But PLDT will continue to miss the services of Ateneo ace and back-to-back UAAP MVP Alyssa Valdez, who needs two more weeks to heal an upper back pain she sustained during her UAAP beach volley stint last weekend.
UP also kept drawing big games from comebacking leader and noted blocker Katherine Bersola, who chipped in five hits in her second game since being sidelined by an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury early in the year.
Bersola scored eight points, including four blocks, in UP’s 19-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-23 win over Navy in the conference inaugurals on Oct. 10.
Skipper Rossan Fajardo paced Coast Guard with nine points but failed to draw solid backup from the rest of the Lady Dolphins with Sam Dawson scoring eight and Mary Rosale and Hyrize Macabuhay adding six hits apiece.