All posts tagged Green Spikers

This article is guest posted by PinoySpikers.com

For the second straight year, De La Salle and Santo Tomas will meet in the UAAP Women’s volleyball  finals.

But the Lady Spikers need to toughen up in close games like this if they want to dethrone the Tigresses. La Salle went to the eye of the needle once again to outlast a stubborn Ateneo side, 26-24, 21-25, 25-17, 26-28, 15-8, in the Final Four Saturday at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

The series opener between the Lady Spikers and the Tigresses is set on Wednesday.

“Disorganized ang blocking namin at lumabas ang mga pagkakamali sa mga service. Masuwerte na kami at nanalo, at least na-test nang husto ang mga bata,” said a relieved Lady Archers mentor Ramil de Jesus.

Stephanie Mercado finished with 19 points while Jacq Alarca and Abigail Maraño contributed 14 points for La Salle.

In what expected to be an easy outing for the Lady Spikers, has turned out to be a close one. Ateneo took the game to a fifth frame with a Fille Cainglet scoring go-ahead kill and Bea Pascual banged in set-winning tip-in.

The Lady Eagles even took a 3-1 advantage early on when La Salle banked on its experience to take a 7-3 spread after Dzi Gervacio committed an attacking error. A running spike by Gretchen Ho allowed Ateneo to inch closer to 7-8 before the Lady Spikers went on another run, as setter Mika Esperanza scored on a drop shot to take a 13-8 lead.

Cainglet and Gervacio finished with 19 points while Ho chipped in 11 hits, including two blocks, and Kara Acevedo had 10 markers for Ateneo.

Green Spikers bow to UST. Finish 4th

In the Men’s division, defending champion UST arranged a finals rematch with long-time rival Far Eastern University with a 23-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-16, 15-8 win over La Salle.

Staring at a 3-7 deficit in the deciding fifth set, JP Torres, James Pecaña and Jayson Ramos combined forces in the Growling Tigers’ searing 11-0 run to move closer to match point. UST, which is seeking a ‘four-peat’, sealed the win with a kill by Pecaña.

“Experience ang nagpanalo sa amin. Yung first two sets, kulang sa timing yung blocking namin pero mabuti na lang at nakabawi kami,” said Growling Tigers coach Emil Lontoc.

Torres had a career-high 24 hits, including five blocks, while Jay Depante added 16 points for UST.

Chris Macasaet and Christopher Antonio scored 14 hits apiece while Mark Lee and Kevin dela Vega chipped in 12 points each for the Green Spikers, who improved on their fifth-place finish last season.

The Growling Tigers and the Tamaraws begin their best-of-three championship series on Wednesday.

Men’s Tennis Team gets swept in Finals

UST completed its back-to-back title bid in UAAP men’s tennis with a 3-2 win over La Salle. The Tigers swept their best-of-three championship series.

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This article is guest posted by PinoySpikers.com

Tested for the first time this season, the Lady Spikers went thru the wringer before escaping with a 25-20, 25-27, 18-25, 25-22, 15-12 win over defending champion University of Santo Tomas Sunday in the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament before a jampacked crowd at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

La Salle finish the eliminations on top with a 13-1 record while the Tigresses are in 2nd place with a 10-4 slate.

“Hindi ako satisfied sa inilaro ng mga bata, hindi La Salle team ang nakita ko. Lumabas ang pagkabata ng setter ko (Mika Esperanza), nauubusan ng diskarte kaya nakakalusot ang UST,” said La Salle mentor Ramil de Jesus.

The Lady Spikers will have the twice-to-beat advantage when they meet 4th-seeded Ateneo in their semifinal match-up on Saturday. The Tigresses also has the same incentive with they face Adamson in the other Final Four pairing on Wednesday.

Team captain Cha Cruz scored 17 hits, including two blocks, while Stephanie Mercado and Abigail Maraño added 15 points apiece for La Salle.

Aiza Maizo had 20 points while Judy Caballejo chipped in 17 hits, including two service aces, for UST.

The Tigresses last tied the count at 11-11 via a Maizo kill before Mercado connected a running spike and Michelle Gumabao followed it up with a tip in for the Lady Spikers to take a 13-11 lead.

A hit by Maika Ortiz allowed UST to move closer within a point before Mercado and Gumabao clinched it all for La Salle with two consecutive kills.

La Salle swept Ateneo in their two elimination round meetings. “The true battle begins on Saturday,” said de Jesus, who is seeking to guide the Lady Spikers to their sixth title. Read more…

This article is guest posted by PinoySpikers.com

Sophomore Michelle Gumabao continued her breakout performance as La Salle booked the first ‘Final Four’ berth with a 25-19, 25-11, 25-23 win against Far Eastern University Wednesday in UAAP women’s volleyball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

A product of Holy Spirit-Quezon City, Gumabao finished with 11 points, including four blocks, to lift the Lady Spikers notch their ninth win in 10 matches.

“Happy ako sa inilalaro ni Michelle (Gumabao), mataas ang kumpiyansa ng bata. Mataas ang kanyang percentage sa attacks, blocks at service. Masipag hindi lamang sa laro pati sa ensayo,” said La Salle mentor Ramil de Jesus.

The Lady Tamaraws last tasted the lead in the third frame, 23-22, from a Kathlene Magsumbol block when veteran Jacq Alarca scored a drop shot to level things up at 23-23. FEU never had a chance to extend the game when Gumabao scored two straight kills for La Salle to seal the straight sets win.

Alarca topscored with 13 points while Stephanie Mercado and Abigail Maraño added eight hits apiece for the Lady Spikers, who made it to the semifinals for the third straight season.

Rookie Rosemarie Vargas fired 13 hits, including three service aces, while Maica Morada chipped in 12 points for the Lady Tamaraws, who prior to the match have won three straight games. FEU slipped to 3-7 mark which derailed their ‘Final Four’ bids.

Staring on a 12-14 deficit, Gumabao and Alarca took charge in La Salle’s 13-5 run to clinch the first set. “I hope na ma-maintain ang kondisyon ng mga bata sa last four games ng eliminations. Mahirap yung nasa peak ka tapos babagsak bigla ang laro mo pagdating sa semis,” said de Jesus, who is seeking to guide the Lady Archers to a sixth UAAP title.

In the men’s division, Mark Lee had 21 hits while Chris Macasaet added 17 points to lead La Salle to a 25-23, 22-25, 25-15, 25-21 triumph of Ateneo and remain in third spot at 7-3.

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The Lady Spikers yesterday sent a strong message to the team that inflicted their “only defeat” so far in the season – they can’t beat us on the court.

Led by Charleen Cruz and Abigail Marano, La Salle crushed UE 25-18, 25-16, 25-19 for their eighth win of the season. You can call it payback as the Lady Warriors won their first round match by forfeiture. Cruz and Marano scored 12 points each.

Earlier in the day, the Green Spikers scored a similar straight set conquest over the Red Warriors 25-15, 25-14, 25-21. Chris Macasaet and Emilio Lee scored 15 and 12 points respectively for La Salle as they maintain their hold on 3rd place in men’s volleyball. Read more…

This article is guest posted by PinoySpikers.com

LA Salle joined defending champion University of Santo Tomas anew on top with a 25-15, 20-25, 25-12, 25-20 triumph of Far Eastern University Saturday in the UAAP women’s volleyball.

Jacq Alarca unloaded 21 markers, including three service aces and two blocks, while Stephanie Mercado added 17 hits for the Lady Archers.

After losing the second set, La Salle won the next two to notch its fifth straight victory.

Abigail Maraño chipped in 14 markers, including two blocks, while team captain Cha Cruz added eight hits for the Lady Archers.

La Salle tosser Mikaela Esperanza delivered an impressive playmaking with her 56 excellent sets.

Before meeting with the Tigresses on Jan. 15, the Lady Archers will meet the slumping University of the East Lady Warriors on the resumption on Jan. 8. The league is currently on a two-week Christmas break.

The Green Spikers however weren’t as lucky as they fell to the Tamaraws 18-25, 18-25, 21-25. They still remain third in the standings.

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This article is guest posted by PinoySpikers.com

LA SALLE dropped a set for the first time this season but regrouped just in time to subdue Ateneo, 25-17, 25-16, 23-25, 25-13, and grab a piece of the lead Sunday in the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

After losing the third frame, the Lady Spikers used their efficient service in the fourth set, where the Taft-based spikers unloaded seven aces. Holding on valiantly with their solid floor defense in the first three sets, the Lady Eagles folded up in the fourth frame with their poor receiving.

“Sobrang taas ng spirit ng Ateneo, maganda talaga ang depensa nila. Mabuti na lang at naka-recover ang mga bata sa fourth set, napatunayan sa game na ito na walang madaling kalaban sa tournament,” said La Salle mentor Ramil de Jesus.

Stephanie Mercado had 18 points while team captain Cha Cruz had 17 hits for the Lady Spikers. La Salle improved to 4-0 card to tie defending champion University of Santo Tomas on top.

The Lady Spikers  scored 18 blocks, with four coming from Jacq Alarca and Michelle Gumabao. Dzi Gervacio and Fille Cainglet combined for 35 points for Ateneo, which struggled with poor performances from Kara Acevedo and rookie Ella de Jesus. (TJ)

NOTES: Lady Eagles coach Roger Gorayeb is 0-5 against the Lady Archers since taking over in the 2008-09 season..Ateneo went 5-2 in the first round last year…La Salle last lost to Ateneo in the first round of the 2007-08 season, with ace scorer Charo Soriano playing her final season.

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