Pinoy Spikers (Philippine Spike)

UNIVERSITY of Asia and the Pacific went to the wringer before outlasting Hope Christian High School, 22-25, 25-16, 25-22, 22-25, 15-12, and seize the women’s crown in the UAAPY Cup 2011 volleyball finals Sunday at the UA&P Gym in Pasig City.

The Lady Dragons banked on Maureen Penetrante, Chie Saet, Doreen Sanchez and LC Quemada to clinch the hard-earned win the match lasted for almost two hours.

Bernice Co delivered for Hope to send the game to a decider but folded up in the endgame.

UA&P scored a double victory as its men’s squad won the championship over Ateneo by scoring a thrilling 17-25, 25-15, 23-25, 25-20, 15-13.

Saet was named the women’s MVP, while Reyson Fuentes was the MVP in the men’s division.

Meanwhile, the UA&P women’s volleyball alumni copped third place by winning over Ayala Land via default.

The month-long tournament, which lured seven women’s teams and 10 men’s squads, is supported by Bostik, Gatorade, Universal Robina, Nestle and Julie’s Bakeshop.

Feati University also clinched third place by beating JT men’s volleyball club, 25-22, 25-19, 25-21. (TJ)

ATENEO claimed its first-ever Shakey’s V-League championship by outlasting Adamson, 24-26, 25-18, 25-22, 19-25, 15-11, in Game 2 Tuesday night at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan. The Lady Eagles won the best-of-three series, 2-0, to end a title drought which spanned for more than three decades.

The last major women’s volleyball title which Ateneo was in the NCAA in the 1976-77 season under coach Pitong Custodio. “We’ve been waiting to give back to the school ever since. We always should have a goal and one of that is to give a championship title to our beloved Alma Mater,” said a jubilant Lady Eagles mentor Charo Soriano. The 25-year old Soriano became the youngest coach in the league to win the crown in the league sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza and supported by Accel and Mikasa.

“I am very very happy because after all this time and after all this decades, nabigyan namin ng privilege at honor yung school and for me, that is very fulfilling,” said Soriano. “We are very, very, happy especially the kids I’m very, very proud of them. Happy lang kami na lot of people are supporting us. People have always been there for us. We haven’t been a winning team, we’re not what you call a champion team even,” she added. Read the rest of this entry »

ADAMSON coach Dulce Pante admitted that her wards were totally out of sync in their series opening loss to Ateneo.

“Tingin ko masuwerte sila (Lady Eagles) at off ang laro ng mga bata.  Hindi kami nawawalan ng pag-asa na makahirit ng isa pang game,” said Pante after the Lady Falcons finished their Monday’s training.

Trying to regain its old form, Adamson seeks to foil Ateneo’s bid for a first-ever league championship in Game 2 of the Shakey’s V-League first conference finals Tuesday at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

In the 4 p.m., the Lady Falcons seek to avenge their 25-23, 18-25, 20-25, 20-25 loss to the Lady Eagles last Sunday.

Once a minnow in collegiate women’s volleyball, Ateneo is gunning for its first major title since the Katipunan lady spikers ruled the 1976-77 NCAA tournament. Read the rest of this entry »

THAI import Lithawat Kesinee dropped 24 points, including seven blocks, while Fille Cainglet contributed 22 hits as Ateneo rebounded from a first set loss to edge Adamson, 23-25, 25-18, 25-20, 25-20, and inch closer in bagging its first crown Sunday night in the Shakey’s V-League first conference finals in FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan. Holding the needed psychological advantage in the best-of-three series, the Lady Eagles can win the championship with another victory in Game 2 which is slated tomorrow.

Ateneo is seeking to be the first team with a Thai reinforcement to bag the title which La Salle, bannered by Pu Kanchana, last did the trick in 2006. The Lady Eagles were comfortably ahead, 23-16, courtesy of Aerieal Patnongon’s two service winners when the Lady Falcons unloaded a 9-0 run, capped by a kill by guest player Nene Bautista off an attempted block by Thai import Lithawat Kesinee to claim the opening set.

Of the nine points scored by Adamson, five of them are coming from Ateneo’s miscues, with reinforcement Alyssa Valdez contributing three errors and a service fault by Patnongon, who was visibly rattled by a rabid Lady Falcons fan who was in the stands. But the Lady Eagles recovered in the next three sets, thanks to the ferocious attacks by Kesinee and Cainglet, while libero Denden Lazaro gallantly defended her team’s floor defense. Read the rest of this entry »