Ateneo gains V-L final four

SUSTAINING its steady climb, Ateneo turned back San Sebastian in straight sets, 25-22, 25-23, 25-17, to clinch the last semifinal berth in the do-or-die match of the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Collegiate Conference last night at Philsports Arena.

“We’re more confident now,” Ateneo hitter Ana Gopico said of the Lady Eagles, who continued to rise after their 0-2 start and erratic outings in the tournament.

“We weren’t rattled and we didn’t give up easily.”

Gopico shone with 15 points built on 11 kills and four aces as Ateneo clipped the repeated rallies of a San Sebastian side that boasted last conference’s MVP Grethcel Soltones.

Ateneo will go up against quarterfinal topnotcher Far Eastern University in the best-of-three semifinals starting tomorrow also at Philsports Arena.
National University and University of the Philippines tangle in the other Final Four pairing.

Earlier, the two men’s teams that lorded it over the previous round moved within a win of arranging a title showdown in the Spikers’ Turf Season 2 Collegiate Conference.

Unbeaten Ateneo and NU, which topped their respective groups in the eliminations, downed separate opponents in contrasting fashion to take Game 1 of the best-of-three semifinals.

It’s the defending champion Blue Eagles, though, that had to go through a scare before outlasting La Salle in a 25-16, 17-25, 25-23, 26-28, 15-7 decision.

Marck Espejo pumped in 25 points and Anthony Kofyman also scored 20 as the Eagles stretched their perfect run to six games.

NU wrapped up its match quicker as the Bulldogs drubbed University of Santo Tomas in straight sets, 25-21, 25-21, 25-23, in the other pairing.
Fauzi Ismail and Madzlan Gampong unloaded 14 points each to power the Bulldogs.

Both Ateneo and NU will shoot for a series sweep in Game 2 tomorrow.

La Salle showed it can put up a fight against their favored rival behind Arjay Ona and Cris Dumago, who combined for 33 points.