MANILA — The University of Perpetual Help System DALTA Lady Altas tightened their grip on the NCAA Season 101 women’s volleyball race, storming back from a first-set stumble to dismantle the Lyceum of the Philippines University Lady Pirates, 19-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-16, Wednesday at the San Andres Sports Complex.
With the emphatic win, Perpetual climbed to 6-1 and remained on top of Group A, underscoring its status as a serious title contender midway through the elimination round.
Cyrille Almeniana erupted for a match-high 20 points on 17 attacks and three blocks to earn Player of the Game honors, anchoring the Lady Altas’ turnaround after a shaky opening frame.
After yielding the first set, Perpetual recalibrated its defense and sharpened its offensive execution. The Lady Altas dictated the tempo in the next three sets, limiting Lyceum’s scoring runs while capitalizing on transition plays and net presence to seize full control of the match.
The Lady Pirates, who slipped to 3-4 in Group B, struggled to regain momentum as Perpetual’s floor defense frustrated their hitters and forced errant attacks down the stretch.
Lady Chiefs bounce back
In the earlier match, the Arellano University Lady Chiefs returned to the win column with a 25-14, 21-25, 25-16, 25-21 victory over the Jose Rizal University Lady Bombers.
Veteran setter Catherine Domasig delivered 12 points and orchestrated the offense with 26 excellent sets to steer Arellano to its third win in seven matches in Group B.
Crisanta Servidad led the Lady Chiefs with 22 points and 10 digs, while Fhaye Mangubat and Heart Villaflores chipped in 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Jose Rizal University, which dropped to 1-7 in Group A, drew 15 points and 11 receptions from Czarina Ramos but faltered after conceding the pivotal third set./PN
