Renee Coleen Nathalie Gimeno (14) of Southwestern University (SWU) Phinma blocks the spike of Mary Jane Igao (7) of the University of San Carlos (USC).
(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
TOURNAMENT favorites Southwestern University (SWU) Lady Cobras and the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Lady Jaguars made their way back to the finals of this year’s CESAFI women’s volleyball after scoring straight-sets semifinal wins yesterday at the University of San Carlos (USC) Main Gym.
The short-handed Lady Cobras marched to the finals for the eighth straight year by breaking the hearts of the home fans, crushing the USC Lady Warriors, 25-19, 25-22, 25-21.
SWU who missed the services of league MVP Floremel Rodriguez due to conflict of schedules leaned on the scorching attacks of Nathalie Gimeno, Shiela Bongo, Dyan Darantinao, Necca Rose Dela Llana and Janelle Cabahug to win the first two sets.
Things remained close in the third, but the Lady Warriors were poised to take the set when Rhea Fuentes scored five points to help USC take a precarious, 20-19 advantage.
However, Lady Cobras were never to be denied as the defending champions unloaded a, 6-1 bomb to snuff the life out of the gritty Lady Warriors.
Rodriguez arrived late but SWU mentor Roy Ulan decided to sit her out.
The Lady Jaguars on the other hand, were just as merciless after pounding the USPF Lady Panthers, 25-21, 25-19, 25-23 to earn a rematch with SWU.
USJ-R took the first two sets with plenty to spare but found the Lady Panthers a tough nut to crack in the third especially after the latter clawed back from a, 10-18 deficit to tie the count at 23-all.
The Lady Jaguars however, flashed their championship form to escape with a 25-23 win.
A finals preview will happen on Oct. 9 when SWU and USJ-R clash in the final match of the round-robin semis.
In the girls division, USJ-R stunned defending champions SWU, 22-25, 25-21, 25-19 while the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo De Cebu (SHS-ADC) manhandled USP-F, 25-11, 25-21.
Also, the University of Cebu (UC) broke into the win column after three tries by beating winless Cebu Eastern College (CEC) Dragons, 25-7, 25-12.