FAR Eastern University overpowered reigning National Collegiate Athletic Association champion St. Benilde and came away with a 25-16, 25-18, 25-18 victory to join University of the Philippines on top of Group B in the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Collegiate Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City Monday.
The Lady Tams, champions here in 2014, unloaded 34 attack points, 15 more than the Lady Blazers, who hardly showed the form that steered them past the San Sebastian Lady Stags for the NCAA crown last year.
Bernadeth Pons fired 11 hits while skipper Mary Joy Palma and Toni Rose Basas added 10 points each for the Lady Tams, who joined the UP Lady Maroons, who swept the San Beda Lady Red Spikers in Saturday’s opener of the mid-season conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s, on top of Group B.
The Morayta-based spikers did well in plugging the holes left by their former starting setter Gizelle Sy with coach splitting the role between Maria Angelica Cayuna and Kyle Angela Negrito.
Cayuna earned the starting spot and made 19 out of her team’s 36 excellent hits in an impressive start in the league backed by Mikasa as official ball and Accel as official outfitter.
“I just want to expose them both so that I will have two options when we compete in the UAAP,” said FEU coach Shaq delos Santos of her new pair of playmakers.
The Lady Tams took 12 of the first 15 points to set the tone for the rout in the match aired live over ABS-CBN Sports + Channel 17 and 23.
NCAA MVP Jeanette Panaga led St. Benilde with seven hits while Chelsea Santillan had six points as the Lady Blazers struggled in the face of the Lady Tams’ solid net defense, which produced 10 blocks.
Over in the Spikers’ Turf Season 2 Collegiate Conference, University of Santo Tomas downed National College of Business and Arts, 25-18, 25-20, 25-13, and National U turned back FEU, 25-23, 25-23, 25-22, to earn a share of the early lead in their respective groups.
Arnold Bautista, Jr. and Manuel Andrei Medina unloaded 14 and 10 hits, respectively, as the Tigers outplayed the NCBA Wildcats for a share of the Group B lead with the UP Maroons.
The Bulldogs, on the other hand, drew 12 hits from Bryan Bagunas and 10 markers from Francis Philip Saura as they thwarted the Tams to join the La Salle Archers in the Group A lead.
NU’s win also marked the return of Fauzi Ismail, who won the Finals MVP plum after powering Air Force past Cignal to claim the Open Conference title last month.
Ismail, who missed last UAAP season due to academic reason, contributed seven points.
“We need all the help we can get and we’re happy he’s back,” said NU coach Dante Alinsunurin.
Games tomorrow
(Philsports Arena, Pasig)
10 a.m. ñ Perpetual vs PMMS (S Turf)
12 noon ñ Ateneo vs San Beda (S Turf)
4 p.m. ñ San Beda vs UST (V-League)
6 p.m. ñ NU vs SSC-R (V-League)
