COLLEGE of St. Benilde needed just a little over an hour to stop St. Louis University in straight sets and formally claim a place in the quarterfinals of the Shakey's V-League Season 11 First Conference on Tuesday at The Arena in San Juan.
The Lady Blazers clocked 66 minutes in scoring a 25-13, 25-14, 25-20 win, levelling their win-loss record at 2-2, while keeping the Lady Navigators winless in four outings.
Jeanette Panaga scored 18 points, while team captain Therese Veronas had 11 points for St. Benilde, which joins UAAP champion Ateneo, Arellano and Adamson in the round of eight.
“Proud kami na nakapasok kami,” said coach Alvin Dumalaog of St. Benilde, which rejoined the V-League after a two-year absence.
The Lady Blazers relaxed after two sets and allowed the Lady Navigators to come back from 4-15 down to take the lead at 20-19 in the third.
But CSB finished the match with a 6-0 run, with Panaga scoring the last three points to end the match, helping the Lady Blazers bounce back from a straight-sets loss to Arellano on April 3.
Dumalaog noted it was an impressive win considering that the Lady Blazers had three weeks off after the players took their finals exams and went on break for the Holy Week.
“Kulang sa resistensiya kasi ’yung mga bata, puro jog lang kami kahapon lang kami nakapag-bola,” said Dumalaog.
Roxanne Almonte made eight points, all from spikes, for St. Louis, which will face Adamson in its last elimination-round match on Thursday.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
