Lady Maroons ward off Blazers, boost semis bid

The University of the Philippines Lady Maroons narrowly escaped in each frame but held their nerve in the stretch to foil College of Saint Benilde, 26-24, 27-25, 29-27, and firm up their semifinal bid in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Collegiate Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan yesterday.

The Lady Maroons leaned on strong finishes in each frame, overhauling a 22-24 deficit in the first, shattering a 25-all count in the second then erasing a 25-26 disadvantage in the third set to get back on track following a four-set loss to the Adamson Lady Falcons last Sunday.

With a 3-2, the Lady Maroons kept their spot at fourth heading to the last two weeks of the single round elims of the mid-season conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.

“We made lots of mistakes that a team like UP should not make. We entertained many rallies – which was not necessary. We had so many chances that if we would have executed quickly, then it would have been an easy three-set win,” said UP coach Godfrey Okumu.

Isa Molde smashed 18 points, including all of the Lady Maroons’ production in their 4-1 finishing tear in the third set, she topped with 11 digs, Nicole Magsarile backed Molde with 10 while Aieshalaine Gannaban produced nine points against their former coach Jerry Yee.

Klarisa Abriam scored a gamehigh 20 points while Chelsea Umali and Marites Pablo combined for 12 for the Lady Blazers, who dropped to 1-4 in a tie with the Perpetual Help Lady Altas.

CSB and UP engaged in a nip and tuck battle in the homestretch of the opening frame, with the Lady Blazers even taking a 24-22 lead on a Lorielyn Bernardo service that went wide and an off-speed shot by Abriam.

The Lady Maroons, however, pounced on the Lady Blazers’ shaky finish as they committed two costly miscues before Molde closed it out with a cross-court hit.

UP then blew an early 12-8 lead and a set point, 24-22, in the second as Magsarile stumbled on a pair of attack errors before making it up with a cross-court hit followed by Maristela Layug’s block on Pablo to seize the set.

The Lady Maroons then squandered a five-point lead anew in the third, 22-17, and fought through a thrilling finish a third time before overhauling a 25-26 deficit behind Molde.