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Shakey’s V-League 1st Conference: NU bests Ateneo to capture 1st title, UST cops 3rd

PHILSPORTS ARENA, Pasig City—The National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs via a career game from guest setter and eventual Finals MVP Rubie de Leon defeated the highly-touted defending champions Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) Lady Eagles in Game 3 of their Best-Of-Three series to win its first major volleyball title in 56 years 25-23, 25-20, 17-25, 26-24 before a capacity crowd here in the Shakey’s V-League’s tenth season’s first conference.

The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tigresses also emerged victorious in its similar Best-Of-Three saga against UAAP rival Adamson University (AdU) to finish third in the opening rubbermatch in “Sudden Death Sunday”.

The Lady Bulldogs were paced by tournament MVP Din-Din Santiago with 17 points, leading four others in double figures including de Leon’s season-high 13. Alyssa Valdez woke up from an early slump to lead the Lady Eagles with 16 markers but was among three Katipuneras who committed crucial service errors in the twilight of the fourth set, enabling NU to come from behind and snatch their first championship since the 1956-57 UAAP crown.

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After dropping the first two sets to the first-time finalists, Ateneo began gathering steam behind Valdez who was limited to only five points in the first two cantos. She was joined on the Lady Eagles’ offensive juggernaut by guest players Rachel Anne Daquis (15 points) and Jaroensri Bualee (15 points) as Ateneo began showing the swagger that won them this conference twice in the past. The entry of regular center Marge Tejada sans Amy Ahomiro improved the Lady Eagles net attacks and seemed poised to send the match into a deciding fifth set. However service errors by Valdez, Bualee and last by setter Jem Ferrer with Ateneo ahead at set-point 24-22 proved to be the turning point in the match as de Leon, utility spiker Carmina Aganon and Din-Din scored the final three points to give the Lady Bulldogs their first title since joining the league in 2010.

The triumph became a swan song of sorts for NU libero Jen Reyes and the inactive Maricar Nepomuceno as their final game as regulars played out, ending their careers with a title. Of Ateneo’s fabled Fab Five only Ferrer and former skipper Fille Cainglet chose to see action in their final conference of eligibility as regular players as A Nacachi opted to join the workforce, Dzi Gervacio entered law school and crowd-darling Gretchen Ho chose to forgo her spot for the regulars to see more action.

“(I chose) to give way to the younger ones who need the experience more for (the upcoming) UAAP,” Ho disclosed to this writer recently.

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It was the first time the Lady Eagles relinquished the title they held since winning it in 2011 under rookie Head Coach Charo Soriano and that win also marked their first women’s volleyball championship trophy since their 1976 NCAA crown.

The NU win, however, was a masterful orchestration on all fronts by the 30-year-old de Leon.

The former UST stalwart and national team icon registered a season-high 19 excellent sets (tantamount to 19 assists in basketball)—10 in the first two sets. Her 13 points also represented the highest attained by any setter since the Philippine Army’s Tina Salak scored 14 in 2011. De Leon also began “counting” her rejections of Daquis; tallying two of her three total blocks against the former Finals MVP. Ateneo had no answer to de Leon’s inspired performance in the first two sets and it was also de Leon who gave NU the lead for good after a push to the back zone could not be retrieved by Bualee, 25-24. Santiago’s middle spike ended hostilities before a crowd of almost eight thousand at the historic sports Mecca.

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In the earlier match for third place, the Tigresses easily copped the first set—despite the absence of guest player Aiza Maizo, due to a family emergency—behind the splendid play of Carmela Tunay, who was coming off a lacklustre showing in Game 2. Tunay eclipsed her Game 2 output of four points by tallying five markers in the first set alone as UST grabbed the initiative, 25-18. Adamson came roaring back in the second set as exiting superstar Pau Soriano joined forces with guest player/assistant coach Angela Benting to take it, 25-19.

After that, UST just went ballistic as open-hitters Tunay and Pam Lastimosa along with center Maika Ortiz and surprise starter Ingrid Reyes proceeded to infiltrate the Lady Falcons defenses and just became relentless as they took the next two sets, 25-19, 25-16 to give the best going-away present to graduating players Ortiz and Judy Ann Caballejo.

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Lastimosa led the Tigresses with 19 points, ably supported by Ortiz with 16, Tunay with 12 and Reyes’ 10. Adamson got 13 markers from Soriano and 11 from the seldom-used Mayette Zapanta—who started in place of injured Mylene Paat at the utility spot. The Lady Falcons will only be losing Soriano for the upcoming UAAP season—which they are the host school.

It was an entirely unique experience for myself broadcasting the final double-header of the conference. At one point of the championship game, I commented to my partner Anne Remulla that it’s as if all the cicadas in the world decided to fit into my head-set as the crowd noise level was of another level. I thought the decibel level at the MOA Arena was ridiculous, this was way worse. I don’t even know how I still had enough vocal reserves to conduct the awarding ceremonies, but it was a great way to end what has been a landmark conference for the decade-old league; one that began as a vision of the late former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner Jun Bernardino in 2004.

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Volleyball has truly arrived and is beginning—in its own unique and vibrant way—to re-shape the sports landscape in the archipelago. Let’s look forward to the league’s second conference which commences on August 18.

You volleyball fans are more rabid than some basketball fans out there. Thank you for continually draining my Blackberry’s battery everytime we do a coverage. On behalf of all the members of the television panel, namely Sev Sarmenta, Mozzy Ravena, the Remulla Sisters (Ivy and Anne), Doc Ian Laurel, Noreen Go and our courtside princesses Rheena Villamor, Denise Tan and Michelle Datuin, we’d like to pay our biggest respects to all of you. Mozzy once told me that this is the most fun she’s ever had as a broadcaster of the league. I don’t think anyone will argue with her on that.

And, of course, congratulations to the Sports Vision Management Group led by Misters Moying Martelino and Ricky Palou, Shakey’s thru Misters Leo Prieto, Jr. and Vic Gregorio and all the people over there at GMA News TV—especially to our broadcast boss Marivic Araneta, the whole team is rocking to a brand new song. Here’s to scaling higher peaks and reaching more pinnacles in the coming conferences.

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Congrats to NU and Rubie, Ateneo, UST and Adamson. See you all on August 18. Galing!

WATCH THE ENTIRE UST-ADAMSON GAME 3 HERE

WATCH THE ENTIRE NU-ATENEO GAME 3 HERE

Follow Noel Zarate on Twitter (@NoelZarate)