Angel Marquez | FCF
Adamson University’s first step on the ladder was a near stumble, but fortunately for them poise, power, and tenacity brought them back to the semifinals stage of the country’s most popular volleyball tournament.
The Lady Falcons outsmarted season rivals Far Eastern University (FEU), 25-17, 23-25, 23-25, 25-13, 15-11, on Filoil Flying V Arena’s taraflex mat on Wednesday to claim fourth spot and the right to face last year’s runners-up Ateneo de Manila University in University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball step-ladder semifinals.
Their male counterparts in the men’s volleyball tournament likewise entered the semis in a do-or-die playoff, as the Soaring Falcons swept De La Salle University, 25-20, 27-25, 25-23 for the right to face the twice-to-beat National University.
Veteran Sheila Pineda played the best game of her last season, scoring 25 points and digging 13 power spikes from her opponents, proving her all-around repertoire.
But it was Adamson’s role players who stepped up when the team was on the brink of elimination, with Faye Guevarra’s unorthodox drop shots, Amanda Villanueva’s spark off the bench, May Macatuno’s unpredictable sets, Jellie Tiempatura’s omnipresence on the floor, and Princess Listana’s steady services in the endgame.
Said four players were conspired to keep the Lady Falcons soaring, blanking the Lady Tamaraws in the fourth set at 25-13 after dropping the previous two sets due to unforced errors and a seemingly absent net defense.
The young Lady Tamaraws, a team led by a rookie in scoring, seemed unfazed in the penultimate set, surging ahead by as much as 5-2 in set five but Pineda and fellow veteran Mayette Zapanta paced the team to surge ahead, 10-8.
Surprisingly, coach Shaq de los Santos benched main setter Gyzelle Sy in the most crucial juncture of their campaign, opting to field the inexperienced Yna Louise Papa as setter and this proved to be disastrous for the Lady Tamaraws as they crumbled with errors in reception and spiking.
Thanks to Listana’s services in the endgame, the Lady Falcons stormed ahead with attacks from all angles. Pineda’s uncontested down-the-line hit and Villanueva’s power spike, which was blocked by the towering Geneveve Casugod but went out of bounds, sealed the deal for the Lady Falcons.
“Our problem was still our first ball, our reception, but the team recovered in the fourth set because we were down,” remarked Adamson head coach Sherwin Meneses. “We were not sure who’s going to win, but it’s good that the girls strengthened their mold.”
Aside from Pineda, Zapanta added 14 points; Villanueva, 12 points; and Guevarra, 11 points for Adamson.
The Lady Tamaraws, the winningest women’s volleyball team in the UAAP, were led by rookie hitter Bernadette Pons with 17 points while Casugod had seven blocks. They have missed the Final Four for the second straight season, which were marked by coaching changes and team overhauls.
On the other hand, the Lady Falcons, playing on their second season under Meneses, have booked their second straight semis berth.
It will also be their second straight year to meet the Lady Eagles in semifinals, this time in a do-or-die game on Saturday at the Filoil Flying V Arena that will showcase the duel of the two hottest spikers of the season–Pineda and the taller Alyssa Valdez.
Angel Marquez | FCF
