Lady Jaguars down Lady Cobras in Cesafi volleyball semis

THE UNIVERSITY of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Lady Jaguars finished spotless in the semifinal round of the Cesafi women’s volleyball tournament after scoring a 27–25, 25–18, 22–25, 25–22 win over the defending champions Southwestern University (SWU) Lady Cobras yesterday at the University of San Carlos (USC) Main gym.

The win was the first for USJ-R over SWU since Oct. 11 last year. Both teams will still meet in the finals next month for finishing in the top two after the single round-robin semis. USJ-R ended up with a 3–0 (win-loss) card while SWU finished with a 2–1 record.

USJ-R relied on the scorching attacks of team captain Jessa Jorquia, Paula Maninang and the defensive presence of Daniella Alfeche to steal the first two sets.

Facing an 0–2 hole, the Lady Cobras turned to league MVP Floremel Rodriguez, who single-handedly brought her team back into the thick of things, scoring seven points in the third.

The Lady Cobras looked on their way to extending the game into a deciding set when it staged a 10–5 lead early in the fourth; but Christine Dior Vegara, who received an earful from USJ-R coach Grace Antigua due to her poor play, exploded right in the nick of time and scored six hits in a pivotal 20–12 Jaguars run.

Despite the victory, Antigua believes that the Lady Jaguars have to improve on their communication inside the floor to have a chance against SWU in the finals next month.

In the girls division, misfortunes continue for the reigning girls champion SWU as it lost to the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles, 25–16, 25–19, while the University of Southern Philippines Foundation trampled the Cebu Eastern College (CEC), 25–9, 25–4.

In boys play, defending champions USJ-R handed the University of Cebu its first loss of the year with a 25–17, 25–27, 25–14 decision.

SHS-AdC, meanwhile, dominated CEC, 25–10, 25–8.