Tabaquero had a throwback game but FEU still lost. (Photo by Cheng Bigay/MatchPointPH)

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, 25-23, 15-25, 25-23, 16-14, to barge into the win column.

NCAA MVP Sandra delos Santos and Pornpimol Kunbang added 11 points apiece for the Rising Suns, who had some measure of revenge after the same Lady Eagles team eliminated their core in the first conference.

Cagayan had 43 hits and nine blocks while Ateneo could only muster 33 kills and five blocks as the latter fell to 2-2, in a tie with their conquerors.

The Lady Tamaraws outscored the Lady Sailors by 14 points overall but Navy struck hard when it mattered most to arrest their three-game slide and leave FEU as the only winless team in the six-team field.

The Morayta-based squad committed 39 errors while the Lady Sailors kept their sheet clean with just 22 miscues.

Angeli Tabaquero exploded for a tournament-best 29 points off 24 hits, four blocks and one ace and Wenneth Eulalio had 15 kills and two aces but those were not enough to prevent the Lady Tamaraws from blowing what could have been a walk-through.

Mayi Prochina and Kiteh Rosale led Navy with 16 and 12 markers, respectively.

Utaiwan finally broke out for Sandugo. (Photo by Cheng Bigay/MatchPointPH)

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 conference MVP still seeking her first title in the V-League, rifled in 22 points highlighted by 19 kills while Utaiwan had a field day with 13 hits, three blocks and two aces for Sandugo.

Sandugo’s attackers went berserk all day, en route to finishing with 61 kills against Army’s 40. The defending champions had more blocks and service aces but could not overcome their foes’ firepower when the going got tough.

Michelle Carolino led the Lady Troopers once more in scoring with 22 points spiked by 18 attacks even as Rachel Daquis and Jacq Alarca (four blocks, four aces) had 12 markers apiece.

Del Mundo and the Lady Maroons are in a logjam for 2nd place with a 2-1 card. (Photo by Josh Albelda/MatchPointPH)

By Theodore Jurado

In the afternoon, the Falcons bounced back with a 21-19, 21-16 win over the Growling Tigers, while the Green Archers whipped the Blue Eagles, 21-8, 21-16, and the Bulldogs defeated the Warriors, 22-20, 21-15.

Dawson and the Lady Tams were downtrodden in the first day. (Photo by Josh Albelda/MatchPointPH)

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 much-heralded tandem of Fille Cainglet and Bea Tan, 21-18, 21-13. The Lady Archers also beat National University’s Dindin Santiago and Jen Reyes, 21-19, 21-17, later in the afternoon to join the Tigresses for the early lead.

The Lady Eagles, who placed second last season, bounced back later in the day with a 21-17, 21-14 victory over Jessica Paron and Francislyn Cais of University of the East for an 1-1 record.

In other women’s matches, University of the Philippines, behind Aia del Mundo and Pau Genido defeated the Lady Tamaraws, 22-20, 21-18, while National University’s Dindin Santiago and Jen Reyes smashed the Lady Warriors, 21-9, 21-7.

UE and FEU dropped at the bottom of the standings with a 0-2 card.

The Tamaraws, meanwhile, started their bid for a three-peat in the men’s division on a winning note, as last season’s MVP Arvin Avila and Karl dela Calzada disposed John Hendrix Competente and Gilbert Longavela of the Falcons, 21-15, 21-18.

UST’s Jay Depante and Mark Pangan defeated UP’s Jomari Badiong and Mico Lucindo, 17-21, 21-15, 15-11, while La Salle’s Red Christensen and Kevin Dela Vega nosed out NU’s Josephenry Tipay and Edwin Tolentino, 15-21, 22-20, 16-14.

UE edged Ateneo, 15-21, 22-20, 15-9, in the other men’s match.

Valdez paced the Lady Eagles in their second triumph of the tourney. (Photo by Cheng Bigay/MatchPointPH)

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 Ho chipped in with six points apiece.

On the other hand, Ateneo alum Iris Patrona led the Lady Tamaraws with 12 markers — all off kills — while Angeline Tabaquero and Wenneth Eulalio added nine and eight points, respectively.

Ex-MVP Roces rose to the occasion against Navy. (Photo by Cheng Bigay/MatchPointPH)

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 and Utaiwan Kaensing chipped in with 11 markers apiece.

Sandugo had 51 attacks and was simply too much for a Navy group that could only come up with 15 kills and scored almost half of its points from Sandugo’s errors.

Jang Bualee had a season-low 10 points but did not need to score much as her team maintained its hold of the top spot with a 3-0 card.

Rhea Dimaculangan and Rubie de Leon totally outplayed Johanna Carpio and combined for 48 excellent sets. Carpio had 12.

Ex-University of the East standout Kiteh Rosale led the Lady Sailors once more with seven points while Marilou Galido and Ailene Suson had four points each.

Salak had 48 excellent sets as Army trooped to the top spot. (Photo by Cheng Bigay/MatchPointPH)

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 to seize the top spot at 3-0.

Daquis and Michelle Carolino top scored for Army with 16 points each while Mayeth Carolino gave the Rising Suns headaches with 15 markers and 12 digs of her own.

Two more Lady Troopers joined the fray as Jacq Alarca and Joanne Bunag bounced back from so-so starts to the conference with 11 points apiece.

Veteran Tina Salak flashed exceptional setting, completing 48 excellent sets even as Alarca and Bunag combined for seven of Army’s 13 blocks.

The Lady Troopers started out flat, surrendering a 17-25 opening set to Cagayan, but rebounded to take the next two sets and moved to finish it off in the fourth.

However, Delos Santos and Tubino conspired in a thrilling fourth set to push the match to a deciding frame, where Army took control.

Delos Santos fired 15 kills and two aces and blocked three shots for 20 markers while the vastly-improved Tubino had 16 attacks, two aces and two blocks to also post 20 points.

The Rising Suns’ Thai imports were silenced this time, with Pornpimol Kunbang and Chuewulim Sutadta struggling for nine and seven markers, respectively.

The Lady Troopers are on track in their title defense. (Photo by Cheng Bigay/MatchPointPH)

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.

Bualee had another double-double for Sandugo. (Photo by Cheng Bigay/MatchPointPH)

By Josiah Israel Albelda

JUST one step away from clinching the match, Sandugo needed three more sets to finish off a gritty Cagayan Valley crew.

Star-studded Sandugo survived a grueling five-setter against the Rising Suns, outlasting their foes, 25-23, 25-22, 15-25, 21-25, 15-10, in the 9th Shakey’s V-League Open Conference at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

Pushed to the edge by a determined Cagayan side, Sandugo leaned on former MVPs Jang Bualee, Nene Bautista and Sue Roces to complete the victory that took them almost two hours to achieve.

The Roger Gorayeb-mentored squad edged the Rising Suns in the first two sets before the latter waylaid them in the third, building several double digit leads en route to staying alive, 25-15.

Sandra delos Santos, Chuewulim Sutadta and the vastly-improved Royse Tubino teamed up to foil Sandugo’s bevy of attackers while also putting up a pretty good offense of their own to force a fifth set.

But Cagayan, backstopped by its core of University of Perpetual Help System Lady Altas, fell short in the end to drop to 1-1.

Bualee had another complete outing, pouring out 22 points and 14 digs while Bautista chipped in 13 kills, two aces and a block. Roces finished with 14 markers.

Meanwhile, Chuewulim posted 18 points — all off attacks — and 12 digs even as Delos Santos fortified the Rising Suns’ defense with nine blocks while also serving up four aces and five hits.

Tubino chipped in with 17 markers off 13 kills, two aces and two blocks.

Rubie De Leon and Shyrra Cabriana had an interesting duel with 40 excellent sets apiece but Sandugo had the more weapons as Rhea Dimaculangan helped out in her team’s 55 sets.

Army guns for their second straight W. (Photo by Cheng Bigay/MatchPointPH)

By Josiah Israel Albelda

RIDING on the crest of impressive wins last Sunday, unbeaten teams go for their second straight triumphs in the continuation of the 9th Shakey’s V-League Open Conference Tuesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Powerhouse squads Sandugo-San Sebastian and Cagayan Valley lock horns in the main game at 4pm, with the winner gaining a share of the lead after two days of hostilities.

Opening day losers Navy and Ateneo de Manila University, meanwhile, try to register their first victory at 2pm even as defending champion Army guns for the lead against Far Eastern University at 6pm.

The Ateneo-Navy and Sandugo-Cagayan matchups will be shown Wednesday, starting 7pm at AKTV on IBC 13. On the other hand, the Army-FEU game will be televised on Friday, 7pm in the same channel.