Pinoy Spikers (Philippine Spike)

PLAYING like there’s no tomorrow, Thai import Jeng Bualee banged in 27 hits as San Sebastian College forced a finals decider by nipping defending champion University of Santo Tomas, 21-25, 25-16, 15-25, 25-20, 15-13, in the Shakey’s
V-League first conference Tuesday at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Game 3 is set tomorrow at the same venue. “Gusto niya (Bualee) talagang manalo.  Kailangan talaga naming manalo
at ibinuhos nila ang lahat,” said Lady Stags mentor Roger Gorayeb. In her four finals stints for San Sebastian since 2006, Bualee could only end up as a ‘bridesmaid’.

Joy Benito, the tournament’s Most Improved Player, also stepped up for the Lady Stags by scoring 20 hits, including the match-winning kill. Guest player Suzanne Roces and rookie Dafna Robiños also delivered for San Sebastian by combining 23 points.

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ATENEO guest player Charo Soriano suffered an ACL injury based on the MRI findings conducted hours after a 10-25, 25-23, 25-18, 27-29, 6-15 loss to defending champion University of Santo Tomas at the end of the quarterfinals last Thursday at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Doctors are currently looking for a second opinion regarding on extent of Soriano’s injury. She will be operated next week.

With the 5-foot-7 Soriano virtually out of the conference – and the season, Ateneo is on a lookout to hire a new guest player in time for tomorrow’s semifinals, where the Katipunan-based spikers will meetSan Sebastian College.

After losing Soriano, the Lady Eagles within match point, 24-22, before the Tigresses rallied to send the game to a fifth frame.

The Tigresses dominated the decider en route in completing a three-game sweep of Group II. UST will face Lyceum in the other ‘Final Four’ pairing. (TJ)

AS expected, the power-hitting Thai reinforcements dominated the scoring department in the Shakey’s V-League first conference.

Entering the week-long election break, Lyceum import Tip Santrong top the scoring charts with 121 points, while Jeng Bualee of San Sebastian College is in second place with 109 points.

In third place is Southwestern University’s Piyatida Lasungnern with 94 points while Sontaya Keawbundit of Ateneo is in fourth spot with 91 points.

Vastly-improved Joy Cases of the Lady Pirates completed the scoring parade with 88 points in fifth place.

Bualee can get past Santrong as the league scoring leader when San Sebastian and Adamson collide in a ‘do or die’ duel for the last semifinals berth on Thursday.

Action in the first conference resumes after a week-long break due to elections.

Lithawat Kesinee of the Lady Eagles was the last Thai import who won the MVP honors in the 2007 second conference.

Defending champion University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo and Lyceum have already claimed semifinals berths in the season-opening tournament sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza and backed by PLDT myDSL.

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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.

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