Perpetual nails third straight NC volley title

MANILA, Philippines—Showing tremendous resolve, Perpetual Help fought back from a set down to edge Arellano, 17-25, 25-22, 25-16, 25-27, 15-6, Thursday in a pulsating winner-take-all duel and captured a third straight NCAA women’s volleyball title before a sellout crowd at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Honey Royse Tubino, playing the final match of her collegiate career, capped her tournament-long brilliance with a down-the-line smash at championship point, sending Perpetual Help’s adoring throng to delirium.

Tubino’s spike capped what had been a difficult climb by the Lady Altas, who yielded the opening set and came close to a two-set deficit after a poor start in the second frame.

With Tubino leading the charge, the Lady Altas battled back, taking the second and third sets, before recovering their fiery form when it mattered in the final frame to win the series, 2-1.

Tubino pumped in a career-high 35 points. The Zamboanga native shed tears of joy amid the celebration.

“I was already tired in the fourth set but I just didn’t want us to lose,” said Tubino, who won the Finals MVP honors adding to her Season MVP plum she earlier earned.

The Lady Chiefs, who took Game 2 in straight sets, were left to rue a missed opportunity to pin the Lady Altas on the ropes when they grabbed a seven-point cushion in the second set.

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