ATENEO made it look easy in a straight-set mauling of Arellano, 25-14, 25-17, 25-19, yesterday to nail the first semifinal berth in the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Collegiate Conference at Filoil Flying V Arena.
Alyssa Valdez led the Ateneo attack as expected to finish with 20 points as the Lady Eagles kept top spot with a perfect 5-0 slate.
Earlier, University of Santo Tomas outlasted University of the Philippines, 18-25, 25-17, 25-23, 17-25, 15-9, to claim solo second with a 4-1 record.
EJ Laure tallied 12 spikes and three blocks for a 15-point total in the crucial victory that also secured for the Tigresses at least a playoff for a semifinal slot.
“What’s important is that we won, even if it had to be in five sets,“ said UST coach Emilio Reyes.
“We scored a lot on spikes and we really worked as a team,” said Valdez of the UAAP champion Lady Eagles, who walloped the Lady Chiefs on hits, 41-17.
Amy Ahomiro added 13 points, including half of the team’s six blocks, to help the Lady Eagles turn the battle between two collegiate champions into a one-sided affair.
Carmela Tunay, who got sidelined for three weeks due to a fractured nose, returned from injury with 13 points for UST, the last on a match-clinching kill.
The Tigresses pulled away early in the deciding set, 7-3, as guest player Carla Sandoval also stepped up to help pad their lead to 13-6.
The Lady Maroons, who bowed out of Final Four contention, fired a notable 15 aces and even edged the Tigresses in attacks, 47-46, but their 40 errors proved costly.
The Lady Chiefs, the NCAA champions struggling in the quarterfinal round, remained outside the top four with a 2-3 slate.
No Arellano player scored more than five points in the tough setback that put the Lady Chiefs in a must-win situation next week to stay in the semifinal hunt.