Hope pips CSA, keeps crown

HOPE Christian High School wore down Colegio San Agustin in a grueling fourth-set battle to hack out a 25-19, 19-25, 25-14, 29-27 decision and retain the Shakey’s Girls’ Volleyball League NCR leg crown at Rizal Coliseum last Sunday.

The Hope Christian tossers took the opener and then recovered from a second-set meltdown with an imposing third-set win.

They fended off a gritty CSA stand in the concluding set to snatch the win and the championship plus the coveted berth in the Tournament of Champions next month.

Justine Dorog fired 18 points, including two blocks and three aces, while Desiree Cheng, Bel Molde and Chester Ong backed her up with their power game to nip the CSA spikers’ bid in the event sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza and organized by Metro Sports.

Dorog also went on to bag the MVP honors in the six-week long tournament, backed by Toby’s Sports, Mikasa as official ball, Tune Hotels as official residence of T-of-C, Asics and Volley Prep, that featured the top Big City volley schools.

The organizing Metro Sports later announced the CSA also gained a berth in the T-of-C slated Jan. 22 to 26 either at Rizal Coliseum or Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Hope and CSA will be joined by the other winners in various regional tournaments, including Southern Luzon champion De La Salle-Lipa and Western Visayas leg titlist Central Philippine University, in the T-of-C.

Spicing up the T-of-C is the participation of Australia’s Victoria High School team, according to tournament director Johanz Buenvenida.