Photos courtesy of Ben Maniclang.
Games on July 15
2 p.m. – Adamson vs Perpetual Help
4 p.m. – SSC vs St. Benilde
6 p.m. – FEU vs Lyceum
Two of the fancied teams in the Shakey’s V League Season 7 provided an exciting kickoff to the Second Conference at The Arena on Sunday when top favorites San San Sebastian-Excelroof and the Ateneo Lady Eagles went through third-set wringers but still hacked out excruciating wins from which they hopefully will learn that in the absence of UST which has taken a leave, its anybody’s ballgame.
After taking the first two sets comfortably by identical scores of 25-15 the Lady Stags encountered a stubborn Lyceum squad in the third set and had to claw back from two points down to complete the sweep over the Lady Purates by taking the third set 27-25.
Returning Thai guest player Jeng Bualee fired 16 hits, including 14 kills, the last two forcing a 25-all count before the Lady Stags scored the last two points to wrap up the one-hour, 15-minute contest between two of the league’s fancied teams in the
league sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza.
Joy Benito and popular Suzanne Roces added 13 and 11 points, respectively, for the Lady Stags, making up for their two errors that enabled the Lady Pirates to seize a 25-23 lead in the third set.
Mary Jean Balse, a former MVP from UST, paced Lyceum with 11 hits while fellow guest player Dahlia Cruz added nine and mainstay Joy Cases tossed in eight points for the Lady Pirates, who showed plenty of promise in the first conference
of the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Accel, Mikasa and Excelroof.
SSC coach Roger Gorayeb said “We played a relaxed game in the first two sets but we struggled in the third since we are still adjusting with our new libero,” referring to Mae Crisostomo.
However, Gorayeb banked on his veterans, led by Bualee, Roces, Benito, Mirasol, Elaine Cruz and Jennelyn Belen to keep the team together, particularly in the closely-fought third
set.
Ateneo, another title favorite, matched San Sebastian’s opening day sweep and third set scare as it pounced out a 25-19, 25-19, 28-26 win over Far Eastern U in the second game.
A new face, Surasawadee Boonyuen of Thai debuted with a 13-hit performance, including two blocks, as she complemented well with mainstays Gretchen Ho, Bea Pascual, Fille Cainglet, Angeline Gervacio and Denise Acevedo in leading the Lady Eagles to victory.
Ho tossed in 11 points, including three blocks, Pascual came up with nine kills and wound up with 10 points while Cainglet, Gervacio and Acevedo pooled 17 points among themselves.
Rachelle Daquis scored a game-high 15 hits but no other Lady Tam churned out a double-digit output with Monique Tiangco finishing with nine and Cherry Vivas groping for form with seven hits.
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