UNIVERSITY of St. La Salle, playing with no pressure at all, will go back home to Bacolod with a win.
The Lady Stingers foiled semifinalist Lyceum bid for the Group I top seed with a surprising 25-22, 25-19, 25-23 win in the Shakey’s V-League first conference quarterfinals Thursday at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
USLS, which also scored an elimination round victory against Far Eastern University, finished its quarters campaign with an 1-2 mark.
By settling to a 2-1 record, the Lady Pirates’ campaign to seize the No. 1 ranking in Group I in the event sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza and backed by PLDT myDSL is now hanging in the balance.
Lyceum will tie either Adamson and San Sebastian College for the top spot when the two teams meet in a ‘do or die’ duel for the last semifinals berth on May 13.
Ties regarding on the Group I top seed will be broken thru point ratio system. In the semifinal, the Group I topnotcher will meet the second-ranked team of Group II in a best-of-three series, while the Group I’s No. 2 and the Group II top seed will face off in the other ‘Final Four’pairing.
Alumna Michelle Laborte finished with 16 hits while Patty Orendain and guest player Princess Pido added 12 and 11 points, respectively,for the Lady Stingers. Playing like there’s no tomorrow, USLS mentor Roger Banzuela was visibly happy on the way her wards play in their final game of the tournament organized by Sports Vision and supported by Accel, Mikasa and Mighty Bond.
“Sabi ko sa mga bata, we have nothing to lose and we have everything to gain for this game. They played relax and walang pressure at all,” said Banzuela.
“Gusto kong umuwi ang mga bata sa Bacolod na nakataas ang noo kaya they played their very best. Maganda ang blocking at serving ng mga bata,” he added. Banzuela hopes that his Lady Stingers will be back next season and boost their stock by acquiring a decent setter.
Thai import Tip Santrong had 14 points while Joy Cases contributed 10 hits for the Lady Pirates.
With Pido’s hit went outside, Lyceum briefly took the lead, 19-18,before Laborte and Orendain took charge for USLS to take a 23-20 advantage.
The Lady Pirates were able to tie the count at 23-23 after Nica Guliman scored a block before the Lady Stingers sealed the deal when Laborte connected a kill, and reserve Gianes Dolar banged in the match-winning hit.
In the second game, Southwestern University completed a day of the Visayas teams by crushing College of Saint Benilde, 25-19, 25-23, 25-12.
Thai reinforcement Piyatida Lasungnern registered 19 hits while guest player Erika Verano added 10 hits for the Lady cobras, who finished the quarters with a 1-2 record.
The Lady Blazers, who led by Giza Yumang with 13 points, went winless in three quarterfinals matches. (TJ)
