NENE Bautista filled in the gap of fellow guest player Michelle Laborte’s lackluster performance as Adamson neared to a second straight finals stint with a 25-19, 25-23, 25-22 win over University of St. La Salle of Bacolod Thursday in the Shakey’s V-League first conference semifinals at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
Bautista fired 21 hits to help the Lady Falcons seize the 1-0 advantage in the best-of-three series and spoil the debut of new Lady Stingers reinforcements Aiza Maizo and Jovelyn Gonzaga.
In the second game, Ateneo moved closer in clinching its first championship stint in four seasons by turning back National University, 25-27, 25-14, 25-10, 25-19.
Using their fourth starting six this season with the absence of Dzi Gervacio due to school commitments, the Lady Eagles lost the first frame, but bounced back in the next three to seize the upperhand in the best-of-three series.
Ateneo and Adamson can seal their finals showdown with another win in Game 2 slated on Tuesday. Game 3, if necessary, is set on May 12.
“In the first set we were too relaxed, it was a mixture of being relaxed and the anxiousness on the game. There was lack of communication during the first set pero mabuti at nakabawi,” said Lady Eagles coach Charo Soriano.
“We want to grab this opportunity and it is not always you get to qualify for the semi-finals and hopefully the finals,” she added.
Guest player Alyssa Valdez dropped 25 hits, including three blocks, while Thai reinforcement Lithawat Kesinee had 18 points, including four blocks and three service aces, for Ateneo.
Monique Tiangco and Cai Nepomuceno collected 14 hits apiece for the Lady Bulldogs.
“Off lang si Mic-Mic (Laborte) sa palo pero bumabawi lang sa blocking,” said Lady Falcons mentor Dulce Pante.
Laborte struggled with seven hits, but had four blocks.
Kay Aplasca was the lone USLS player in twin digits with 12 points, as Maizo and Gonzaga finished only with seven and six markers, respectively.
“Hindi pa kabisado ng setter (April Hingpit ng Lady Stingers) ang palo ni Maizo kaya basang-basa namin ang direksiyon kung saan papunta ang bola,” said Pante.
“Lamang kami sa depensa, ‘yun ang edge namin,” she added.
In the second frame, USLS led 23-21 with Aplasca scoring a service ace before Adamson uncorked four straight points, capped by a set-winning kill by Bautista.
The Lady Stingers last took the upper hand, 18-15, after reserve Mary Catherine Abayon scored a hit before Bautista, Angela Benting and Pau Soriano combined forces for the Lady Falcons to take a 22-20 spread.
A block by Maizo allowed USLS to tie the count for the last time as 22-22 before Adamson sealed the deal with a kill by Soriano, an outside hit by Aplasca and a match-winning spike by Bautista.
The loss ended the five-game winning run by the Lady Stingers, the first Visayan squad to advance to the ‘Final Four’.
Benting and Soriano combined for 22 hits while libero Angelica Vasquez had 11 digs for the Lady Falcons. (TJ)
