UNIVERSITY of Perpetual Help System Dalta rallied from a five-point deficit in the deciding third set to frustrate Letran, 21-17, 17-21, 15-12, and claim its third straight women’s title in the NCAA beach volleyball tournament Saturday at the La Salle Greenhills sand court.
Emilio Aguinaldo College, meanwhile, ended the Junior Altas two-year reign in the high school division as the Brigadiers pair of Jovet Movido and Jerrus Moya outlasted Jherald Martinez and Christopher Vhal Soriano, 19-21, 21-15, 15-11.
With Gena Andaya and Manel Carolino getting in the groove of things, the Lady Knights raced to a 5-0 lead but the Lady Altas pair April Ann Sartin and Norie Diaz did not just give up.
Perpetual Help tied the count at 6-6 before Sartin suffered cramps, which briefly stopped the match, allowing Letran to taste the lead for the last time, 7-6.
Diaz, who banged in two critical service aces, then took over the Lady Altas to move closer to match point, 14-9.
The Lady Knights made one last stand, inching closer to 12-14, after Diaz was called for a net violation.
Diaz rebounded from a miscue, scoring a drop shot which served as Perpetual Help’s championship point.
A native of Bacoor, Cavite, Sartin was named as the women’s MVP in the event sponsored by Speedo and LGR, while Movido was the top performer in juniors side.
“Na-pressure kami after kaming ma-down ng 0-5. Sinabi ko lang kay Jane (Diaz) na focus lang tayo at magkaroon lang ng communication,” said Sartin, who is now on her third season playing for the Lady Altas.
“Nakatuon kami sa depensa at receiving na naayos namin,” he added.
With the victory, Perpetual Help cemented its status as the league’s winningest women’s beach volleyball team.
The setback was painful for Letran, which won all its 10 matches before dropping its most important game of the season.
Sartin praised Diaz, who filled the void left by two-time MVP Keshia de Luna, for her toughness down the stretch.
Sa women’s semis, pinadapa nina Andaya at Carolino sina Coline Malana at Janine Marciano ng San Beda College, 21-15, 21-9, habang nalusutan nina Sartin at Diaz sina Rossan Fajardo at Maureen Loren ng College of Saint Benilde, 19-21, 21-10, 15-12. (TJ)
