INQUIRER Sports

ATENEO-ORACARE scrambled past Adamson in the last three sets to salvage an 18-25, 11-25, 26-24, 25-22, 15-11 decision Friday in the Shakey?s V-League Season 6 Second Conference at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

The Lady Eagles sprang back to life through Bea Pascual, Angeline Gervacio, Gretchen Ho and guest player Charo Soriano and finished the eliminations with four victories in seven games.

The impressive comeback also lifted the Eagles past the Lady Falcons in their tight battle for fourth place going into the single-round quarterfinals starting tomorrow.

?We hope to bring the winning feeling into the quarterfinals,? said Ateneo coach Clint Malazo. ?This is a big psychological boost for the team.?

Soriano delivered 15 points, Gervacio and Ho added 12 each and Pascual added nine points for the Eagles, who snapped an eight-game, head-to-head losing skid against the Lady Falcons.

Ateneo last tasted victory against Adamson in Game 2 of their best-of-three series for third place in 2007.

After taking the first two sets in dominating fashion, the Falcons suddenly sputtered in the face of Ateneo?s determined stand.

The Falcons, who leaned on the solid games of Pau Soriano and Angela Benting, allowed the Eagles to steal the third set before the momentum shifted Ateneo?s way in the last two frames.

Soriano scored 20 points, Benting had 20 hits while Jill Gustilo scored 12 for the Lady Falcons, whose 3-4 record drove them into a quarterfinal showdown against San Sebastian tomorrow.

In the other game, Lyceum closed out its elimination stint by claiming the scalp of the University of the Philippines, 25-13, 25-14, 24-26, 25-18, to finally win after six straight setbacks.

Joy Cases produced 22 hits, Jamie Pena tossed in 17 points and Syvie Artates and Nica Guliman came up with 14 points each as the Lady Pirates sent the Lady Maroons to their seventh consecutive defeat.