Generals cruise past Maroons, stay afloat

LA SALLE outside spiker Raymark Woo (right) hammers it over Far Eastern U’s Ronchette Villegas and Gregorio Dolor in yesterday’s Spikers’ Turf encounter at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan. The Green Archers kept third spot in the standings with a surprisingly quick victory. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

Emilio Aguinaldo College rose from a pair of heartbreakers to keep its semifinal hopes alive in the Spikers’ Turf Collegiate Conference Monday at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Back in their dominant form, the NCAA champion Generals had everything clicking this time for a 25-17, 25-23, 25-16 sweep of the University of the Philippines.

Howard Mojica pumped in 18 points built on 13 spikes, four aces and a block to tow the Generals to the easy victory that improved their record to 3-3.

In the second match, La Salle also turned back Far Eastern University in straight sets, 25-20, 27-25, 25-11, to keep the third spot with a 3-2 slate.

John Arjay Onia, who teamed up with Rafael del Pilar to account for six of the Green Archers’ 10 aces, finished with a team-high 15 points.

Ateneo tripped a hard-fighting National College of Business and Arts, 31-33, 25-18, 25-12, 25-21, in the nightcap to extend its unbeaten run to six games.

Marck Espejo unleashed 23 points as the Blue Eagles pushed the Wildcats down to fifth at 2-3.

The Generals quickly set the tempo in each set, showing they’ve put behind them the stunning five-set defeat to St. Benilde and the 1-3 setback to Ateneo that put to waste Mojica’s record 41-point explosion.

Kerth Melliza and Hariel Doguna added six points each for the Generals, who also ousted the Maroons from Final Four play.

Only La Salle, EAC and National College of Business and Arts remain in the running for the last two Final Four seats.