San Sebastian College coach Roger Gorayeb doesn’t want to take any chances and wants his players to capitalize on the psychological advantage of a three-set sweep in Game 1 against formidable UST and to end the best-of-three series in the sixth Shakey’s V League at The Arena in San Juan on Sunday at 4:00 p.m.
The awards ceremony will precede the main game after Adamson also hopes to end its battle for third against FEU.
Gorayeb told www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports “psychologically we have the advantage which is the most important thing. We’ll try to play the same again with all our hearts so we can finish it in two games. It will be difficult if its extended to three games because UST is also a very strong team.”
He said in Game 1 SSC was in control from the start and he had told his players “keep those leads of two, three, four points so that we can have control of the game and control the game of UST. If they are leading and we are always running after them it will be difficult for us because we will be trying to catch up. Let them be the ones to try to catch up.”
Gorayeb noted that even in Game 1 “every time we commit even one service error, they make three, four points.” The coach said the Tigresses continued to serve to outstanding guest player Suzanne Roces in Game 1 because she was not really receiving well although “ever since she was a good receiver and I don’t know why UST targeted her.”
Noting that when Thai import Jaroensri Bualee is here “we have a hard time. That’s because they give the ball to Jeng. We have everything to our advantage. Bualee is here to make us strong not to make us win. We will not give the game to Jeng we will all play together and everybody should contribute.”
Sebastian College hopes to finish off Univ. of Santo Tomas and re-stake its claim as the country’s top women’s volley team in the Shakey’s V-League presented by Cherifer.
The Lady Stags came through with a near-flawless game in the opener of their best-of-three playoff and stunned the fancied Tigresses with a straight-set 25-17, 25-22, 25-19, win Thursday to move closer to duplicating their sweep of the three-time champions in last year’s second conference finals.
“We hope to control again their main spikers and do well in our reception,” said Gorayeb, who hopes to draw the best again from Thai import Jaroensri Bualee, Laurence Ann Latigay, Rysabelle Devanadera, Analyn Benito and top setter Charisse Ancheta.
For one, Bualee will surely be going all-out to lead the team to victory and cap her successful campaign in the conference where she is a cinch to be named the tournament’s MVP.
The league, sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza and presented by Cherifer, will honor the conference’s outstanding players in simple rites after the Adamson-FEU game at 2 p.m.
The Lady Falcons are also eyeing a sweep over the Lady Tams for third place honors in the tournament backed by Accel, Mikasa, Mighty Bond and OraCare.
For live webcast of the games, log on to www.v-league.ph. The games will also be aired on NBN-4 starting at 2 p.m. Monday and replayed over Viva Prime on Destiny Cable.
Other awards to be dispute are the best spiker, blocker, setter, server, digger and receiver while the Cherifer’s most improved player award is a three-cornered fight among Cherry Vivas and Shaira Gonzales of FEU and SSC’s Joy Benito.
Other contenders for the MVP plum are 2008 second conference winner Lou Ann Latigay, also of SSC, and UST’s pair of hitters Aiza Maizo and Michelle Carolino.
Meantime, expect the Tigresses to show their resiliency as they try to re-assert their mastery over the Lady Stags, whom they beat in the elims and the quarters, and force a winner-take-all match for the championship.
But UST must be able to neutralize SSC’s power and improve on its reception with Mary Jean Balse, Rhea Dimaculangan, Maika Ortiz, Carolino and Maizo needing to raise their offensive games a notch higher to force a decider.
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