EVEN with their Thai guns relatively silent again, Cagayan rose to victory and snapped a two-game losing skid. Honey Royse Tubino shone bright as the Rising Suns swept Ateneo de Manila University aside in straight sets for their second win in the 9th Shakey’s V-League Open Conference Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. Tubino led all scorers with 15 points to help Cagayan, the league’s newest team, hammer the Lady Eagles, 25-19, 27-25, 25-16, and finish quickly for a change after back-to-back five-setters. Meanwhile, Philippine Navy outworked Far Eastern University in a battle of winless teams, 15-25,…

  IN what could be a finals preview, Sandugo’s Thai imports proved to be unstoppable. Jang Bualee and Utaiwan Kaensing combined for 40 points as Sandugo survived a grueling five-set win over the Philippine Army for their fourth straight win in the 9th Shakey’s V-League Open Conference Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Sandugo need an hour and 48 minutes to repulse the Lady Troopers, 25-16, 17-25, 17-25, 25-18, 15-10, to gain the solo lead after a whole week of competition in the country’s premiere volleyball tournament. Their victims fell to solo second with a 3-1 record. Bualee, the first…

  By Theodore Jurado DEFENDING champion University of Santo Tomas went to the wringer before defeating La Salle, 21-19, 22-20, to become the lone unbeaten women’s team in the UAAP beach volleyball tournament yesterday at the UE Caloocan sand court. The Tigresses’ pair of reigning MVP Judy Caballejo and Maru Banaticla grabbed the solo lead with a 3-0 record entering the halfway mark of the short elimination round. The Lady Archers duo of Wensh Tiu and Kim Fajardo suffered their first loss after going 2-0 to open the season. La Salle thus dropped in a tie with National University, Adamson…

  By Theodore Jurado UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas opened its title-retention bid in style by posting two straight wins in the UAAP women’s beach volleyball tournament Saturday at the UE Caloocan sand court. Reigning MVP Judy Caballejo and Maru Banaticla of the Tigresses needed three sets to survive Adamson’s Pau Soriano and Sheila Pineda, 19-21, 21-16, 15-13, and returned in the afternoon session with an easy 21-13, 21-13 win over Loryvel Faytaren and Sam Dawson of Far Eastern University. La Salle made an early statement on its championship aspirations as the duo of Wensh Tiu and Kim Fajardo stunned Ateneo’s…

  By Josiah Israel Albelda RESERVE spiker Ella de Jesus scored 11 points in just two frames to lead Ateneo de Manila University to a straight sets victory over Far Eastern University in the 9th Shakey’s V-League Open Conference Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. Both teams’ didn’t play their A-game but the Lady Eagles’ effort in the 25-20, 25-18, 25-21 win was enough to propel them to second place in the six-team tournament with a 2-1 slate. Alyssa Valdez top scored for the Katipunan-based squad with 12 markers highlighted by 11 attacks while Fille Cainglet and Gretchen…

  By Josiah Israel Albelda IN a matchup of top and bottom, Sandugo showed why it was the favorite coming into the tournament. Sandugo blasted a hapless Navy crew, sinking the Lady Sailors in three straight sets for their third consecutive triumph in the 9th Shakey’s V-League Open Conference Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. Four players finished in double digits in Sandugo’s emphatic 25-13, 25-18, 25-14 victory that only took 64 minutes to achieve. Former MVP Sue Roces top scored for the powerhouse squad with 15 points off 13 hits and two aces even as Angela Benting…

  By Josiah Israel Albelda PUSHED to another five-setter, Cagayan Valley flunked the test anew. The Rising Suns faded in the end game while Philippine Army trooped to its third straight victory — a 25-17, 20-25, 18-25, 25-20, 15-10 squeaker in almost two hours — in the 9th Shakey’s V-League Open Conference Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. Cagayan’s local 1-2 punch in Sandra delos Santos and Honey Royse Tubino shone bright once more, but it was the Lady Troopers’ three-pronged attack led by the Carolino sisters and Rachel Daquis that was the key for the defending champions…

  By Josiah Israel Albelda LEAGUE leaders Sandugo and Philippine Army try to tighten their grip on the top spot when they battle separate foes Friday in the 9th Shakey’s V-League Open Conference at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. The Lady Troopers, the tournament’s defending champions, battle powerhouse Cagayan Valley in the curtain-raiser at 2pm in another triple-bill gameday in the country’s premiere amateur volleyball league. Sandugo is expected to meet easier sailing against winless Navy at 4pm before Ateneo de Manila University and Far Eastern University lock horns in an all-UAAP tussle in the nightcap at 6pm.