Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
It could’ve been a preview of the finals in the NCAA Season 93 women’s volleyball tournament, but it turned out into a be a stroll for Arellano University.
The defending champion took the easy route in its three-set sweep of San Beda, 25-17, 25-10, 25-17, Friday at Filoil Flying V Centre and the team’s two most influential figures had an idea why the Lady Red Spikers folded so easily.
Both head coach Obet Javier and Jovielyn Prado said fatigue might have been the determining factor in their quick win.
“We we’re surprised because we know they are fully capable of defeating teams in straight sets,” said Prado in Filipino. “Maybe fatigue eventually caught up to them.”
Of the Lady Red Spikers’ six games, three have been decided on five sets and their last two games both went the full five.
San Beda played catch-up with Lyceum on Wednesday, 22-25, 19-25, 25-11, 25-17, 15-7, and went back-and-forth wil Colegio de San Juan de Letran on Monday, 17-25, 235-15, 25-16, 27-29, 15-12.
“I think fatigue played a big factor in today’s game,” said Javier in Filipino. “They played a couple of five-set games and all were tight. And I also think that we had a better preparation than them.”
And if fatigue can’t be reflected on the stat sheets, there were a couple of areas that Arellano had San Beda’s number.
San Beda awarded 31 free points to Arellano due to errors, and the Lady Red Spikers’ top scorers, Cesca Raqraquin and Nieza Viray, didn’t even muster at least half of their usual production.
Raqraquin, who averages 17.5 points, and Viray, 15.5 points, put up just six points apiece to lead the 6-1 Lady Red Spikers.