Opposite hitter Cyrille Almeniana delivered a career-high 28 points to power the University of Perpetual Help Lady Altas to a thrilling five-set victory over the Mapúa Lady Cardinals, 25-20, 21-25, 25-23, 20-25, 15-6, sealing the top spot in Group A of the NCAA Season 101 Women’s Volleyball Tournament on Sunday at San Andres Gym.
Almeniana scored 27 points off attacks along with one service ace in a dominant performance that lifted Perpetual to the crucial win and secured the Lady Altas a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
Fellow Pangasinense standouts Jemalyn Menor and Camille Bustamante also stepped up, contributing 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Setter Fianne Ariola orchestrated the offense with 27 excellent sets out of 145 attempts, while libero Jodi Lozano delivered a double-double with 15 digs and 13 receptions in the two-hour and 30-minute contest.
For Mapúa, Alex Liebres and Raissa Ricablanca led the Lady Cardinals with 18 points apiece.
Meanwhile, in the men’s division, the University of Perpetual Help Altas also came away with a dramatic victory over the Mapúa Cardinals.
Veteran John Castil scored a game-high 17 points built on 12 attacks, four blocks, and a service ace to lead Perpetual to a reverse sweep, 20-25, 14-25, 25-14, 25-16, 15-4.
High-flying Marc Tangon added 13 points from 10 attacks and three aces, while Zain Mohammad contributed 10 markers including two blocks.
Setter Klint Mateo registered 24 excellent sets from 73 attempts, while libero Nash Abenoja anchored the defense with nine digs and 23 excellent receptions.
The Altas closed the elimination round with a 10-3 record and currently hold the top spot in Group A. However, the final standings will depend on the result of the upcoming match between the CSB Blazers and Mapúa on Wednesday, as the Blazers remain in contention with a 9-3 record.
