KATHY Bersola played her best game of the season as University of the Philippines tied National University in fourth place with a 25-14, 25-27, 25-21, 25-12, win yesterday in the UAAP Season 79 women’s volleyball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Holding her own against 6-foot-5 Jaja Santiago, Bersola had a career-best eight blocks and fired two service aces for a 14-point effort as the Lady Maroons avenged their narrow five-set defeat to the Lady Bulldogs in the first round to improve at 7-5.
UP’s second straight victory, the first winning streak since going 4-0 to start the season, allowed idle University of Santo Tomas (7-4) to seize solo third in the standings.
Earlier, Ateneo, shone in the first of two warm-up matches before its much-anticipated showdown with defending champion De La Salle and showed no mercy against Adamson University, 25-13, 25-13, 25-11, to move within a win of clinching one of two twice-to-beat slots in the Final Four.
The Lady Eagles, who are now ahead of the Lady Spikers for the league’s best record at 10-2, found the Lady Falcons an easy picking in the third frame with a 16-0 advantage even with the bench mob doing the mopping up operations.
After a week-long break, Ateneo will face another also-ran in University of the East on Sunday and will have another six days to prepare for the April 8 duel with La Salle at the Big Dome.
A win over the Lady Warriors will hand the Lady Eagles the semifinals bonus that will boost their bid for a sixth straight championship appearance.
“Paghahandaan muna namin ang UE,” said Ateneo assistant mentor Sherwin Meneses, who steered the team as coach Tai Bundit returned to Thailand to attend personal matters.
Kim Gequillana scored all of her four service aces in the third set for a 11-point outing, Michelle Morente added seven points, while rookie Jules Samonte, given more court time, chipped in six markers for Ateneo
Isa Molde and Diana Carlos also had 14 hits each while unheralded Aie Gannaban scored a career-high 13 points for UP.
Jaja Santiago’s 18-point, eight-dig outing, was not enough for the erratic Lady Bulldogs to follow up their five-set triumph of the Lady Eagles last Wednesday.
Joy Dacoron led Adamson University with eight points, including three blocks.
The Lady Falcons, whose woes compounded further with the sidelining of skipper Jema Galanza due to an illness, fell at 0-12 and have dropped 19 straight matches since last season.
In men’s play, Jerome Sarmiento and JP Yude each had 19 hits as Adamson kept its slimsemifinals hopes alive with a 25-23, 23-25, 15-25, 25-20, 17-15 win over FEU.
“We are playing nothing to lose and for pride,” said skipper Michael Sudaria after the Falcons chalked up their third win in 12 matches.
Defending champion Ateneo turned back UE, 27-25, 25-19, 25-14, to extend its perfect run to 12 games and move two wins of an outright Finals berth.