AFTER falling prey to the De La Salle Lady Archers in the UAAP finals, the Lady Spikers finished bridesmaid anew in the Shakey’s V- League second conference.
The Taft-based squad pulverized the hapless UST spikers in straight sets, 25-14, 25-18, 25-23 in their second finals meeting last February 13, to pull off a 2-0 finals sweep.
“The team has nothing to be ashamed of,” said UST coach Augusto Santamaria, who has steered the team to countless victories, including a blazing finals run in the previous V-League conference.
Skipper Roxanne Pimentel, who sprained her right ankle in Game 1, suited up for the Lady Spikers but was visibly out of her element with just 12 markers in the one-hour and 16-minute outing.
The Lady Archers caught the Lady Spikers’ defense napping in the first set. UAAP MVP Maureen Penetrante made DLSU’s court impenetrable for the España-based volleybelles. The Lady Archers’ sturdy defense earned them the 2-0 set advantage.
In the third juncture, both teams were neck-and-neck up until three straight UST reception errors gave DLSU a 24-20 lead. After a timeout, the Lady Spikers inched closer, 23-24, through back-to-back kills from Venus Bernal and Mary Jean Balse, and a DLSU error. But it was too late for UST as Bernal’s long service rendered an anti-climactic ending to the fierce rally.
During the first finals match, UST lost steam after grabbing the first two sets in their 29-27, 25-17, 22-25, 23-25, 7-15 defeat last Feb. 10.
Lady Archers’ guest player Michelle Carolino received the MVP award for her superb performance throughout the conference. Pimentel was named Best Atacker for averaging close to 50 per cent in attack efficiency. With reports from the Philippine Daily Inquirer
