BACOLOD Tay Tung High School Thunderbolts made a return trip to the finals of the 2018 NOPSSCEA girls volleyball after an elimination round sweep on Friday at the University of St. La Salle covered court in Bacolod City.
The Thunderbolts, the defending champions, made a quick work of Living Stones International School 25-11, 25-18 behind the collective efforts of Joan Marie Monares, Erika Deloria and Kiesha Bedonia.
Not only did the Thunderbolts return to the gold medal round, they will also have a twice-to-beat advantage against the winner of the Living Stones-University of St. La Salle semifinal match that was being played as of this writing.
The Thunderbolts were aggressive early on with conversions from Monares and Deloria for a double-digit spread. Errors from the Living Stones allowed Tay Tung to widen the lead further to as high as 14 points.
Unlike in the first set, both teams traded hits early in the second frame but the Thunderbolts gained control of the set midway with consecutive hits from Monares, Deloria and Bedonia.
“There is still unfinished business for us,” said Thunderbolts assistant coach Biboy Calamba. “The twice-to-beat advantage will be useless if we will not be able to win the finals on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, Tay Tung’s basketball players also reached the final round in the 12 and Under, Aspirants and Juniors categories with their separate semifinal wins at the STI-West Negros University gym.
In the final round the Thunderbolts’ 12 and Under team will face St. John’s Institute, its Aspirants team will tangle with La Salle, and its Juniors squad will go against STI-West Negros./PN
