INQUIRER Sports

LETRAN CLINCHED THE TOP WOMEN?S spot in the NCAA women?s volleyball semifinals on Tuesday even as its men?s squad coasted to a straight-sets victory to also advance to the next round at the Emilio Aguinaldo College Gym in Manila.

The Letran lady tossers slipped past erstwhile leader Perpetual Help following a 25-9, 25-14, 25-22 walloping of hapless Mapua to close out the elimination round with an 8-1 record.

Letran actually finished tied with Perpetual, but the Muralla-based spikers bagged the top seeding because of the winner-over-the-other rule.

The single-round semifinals today will pit Letran against No. 4 St. Benilde and Perpetual Help against defending champion San Sebastian, which is struggling to repeat following the graduation of some of its key players.

Facing elimination, the Knights produced a ferocious stand to dispose of Jose Rizal U, 25-13, 25-12, 25-15, in men?s play to earn enough cushion to gain the fourth seed over St. Benilde and Arellano.