Standings
Group A
NU 5 0
EAC 4 1
NCBA 3 2
FEU 2 3
MIT 1 4
UE 0 5
Group B
*Ateneo 4 0
La Salle 3 1
UP 3 1
*St. Benilde 2 2
Arellano 0 4
DLSU-Dasma 0 4
*Playing at presstime
PRESS RELEASE
La Salle rode on a big fourth set fightback and outlasted University of the Philippines in a tight finish to carve out a 25-22, 24-26, 15-25, 25-13, 15-13 decision and assure itself of at least a second place finish in Group B of the Spikers’ Turf Season 1-Collegaite Conference at The Arena in San Juan City Wednesday.
Arjay Onia unloaded a match-best 25 hits, including 20 on kills, three on blocks and two aces as the Archers wound up with a 4-1 (win-loss) record after the single round elims of the event presented by PLDT Home Ultera.
Ateneo leads the pack with a 4-0 card and is eyeing a sweep against St. Benilde at presstime.
“We just showed composure in the end,” said La Salle coach Ronald Dulay.
La Salle skipper Raymark Woo fired 17 hits while Mike Anthony Frey tossed in 12 markers to help La Salle move into the quarterfinal round on a winning note with its elims record a big plus in the carryover quarters.
Team captain Alfred Gerard Valbuena uncorked a team-high 21 for the Maroons, who closed out their elims campaign with a 3-2 slate.
Aside from Ateneo, La Salle and UP, College of St. Benilde also advanced with a 2-3 mark.
Group B teams will play all four of the Group A qualifiers, headed by National U (5-0), Emilio Aguinaldo College (4-1), Far Eastern U (2-3) and National College of Business and Arts (2-2).
The Archers actually overwhelmed the Maroons in spikes, 60-38, pouring in the bulk in their one-sided fourth set romp. But they needed to toughen up in the fifth and frustrate the Diliman-based netters with clutch hits.
UP leaned on its superb blocking to take command after three sets, 3-1, with Evan Raymundo coming through with seven blocks for a 13-hit output and Gian Kyle San Pascual putting off five for UP’s 16-block effort, six more than La Salle’s.
National College of Business and Arts also went through a wringer before subduing also-ran University of the East, 25-22, 25-20, 21-25, 18-25, 16-14, as it improved to 3-2 going to the quarters.
Out of it all with a 0-4 card, the Warriors battled back from two sets down to force a decider where they engaged the Wildcats in a see-saw battle before yielding.
Guest player Reyson Fuentes topscored for NCBA with 12 hits while skipper Jason Canlas and Jonel Oclima fired 11 points apice and Daryl Valenzuela and guest player Edwin Tolentino chipped in nine hits apiece.
Team captain Edard Camposano sizzled with 20 hits while Ruvince Abrot had 15 markers nad Ronjey Adviento added 10 and Joshua Umandal made nine points for the Warriors, who closed out their campaign without a win.
