Lady Falcons buck Stags rally, near V-L crown

MANILA, Philippines - Adamson nearly blew an early two-set lead but hung tough in the decider to eke out a 25-13, 25-17, 30-32, 21-25, 15-13 victory over San Sebastian-Excelroof yesterday to inch closer to its second title in the Shakey’s V-League Season 7 second conference at The Arena, San Juan City.

Guest players Nerissa Bautista and Michelle Laborte each unloaded 22 hits with the former ramming in 19 kills and the latter coming up with eight blocks to help the Lady Falcons seal a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three series sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza.

The Lady Falcons thwarted the Lady Stags’ stirring fightback from two sets down with a scrambling win in the decider with Bautista and Angela Benting taking charge at endgame of a contest that took nearly two hours to finish.

Benting and Bautista came through with a hit each to shatter the 13-all count as the Falcons seized a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three series for the season-ending conference crown.

Adamson goes for the clincher on Sunday.

It was Adamson’s 11th straight win in the season-ending conference, including a sweep of the quarterfinals and their Final Four showdown with Lyceum, which closed in on a third place finish with a 25-18, 25-19, 25-20 win over Far Eastern U earlier.

The victory made it a little more special since it was Adamson’s third fifth-set win over the fancied San Sebastian side.

Adamson coach Dulce Pante said it was their defense that keyed the win.

“I said before the finals that we need to improve on our blocking, floor defense and reception for us to win this game,” said Pante, who steered the team to the championship in the 2008 first conference, in Filipino. “We did it in this game.”

Angela Benting, the school’s top player, unleashed a 21-hit performance, including 18 attacks, while Pau Soriano had 15 kills highlighted by three blocks that complemented Laborte’s rock-solid net defense.

Thai import Jeng Bualee led all hitters with 25 points and three other Lady Stags scored in twin digits with Joy Benito, Elaine Cruz and Suzanne Roces adding 18, 13 and 10 points, respectively.

But SSC failed to hurdle Adamson for the third straight time with the Lady Stags heading to another bridesmaid finish after losing the first conference crown to the UST Tigresses.

Pante said she was optimistic from the start even though they nearly blew a 2-0 lead.

“I didn’t lose faith, I have confidence in my team from the start that we’re not going to lose,” said Pante.

San Sebastian fought back from 0-2 down with scrambling winds in the third and fourth sets to force a decider where it even led, 5-3.

But Adamson went to Bautista’s rocket-like serves to snare a 12-7 lead capped by a crisp kill by Soriano at center.

Again, the Lady Stags refused to give up and battled back to knot the count at 13 courtesy of Benito’s attack but Benting and Bautista delivered the clinchers with a hit each.

Joey Villar, Philippine Star