An inspired San Beda University escaped Mapua University in four sets, 25-20, 14-25, 25-23, 25-23 to book back-to-back wins in the NCAA Season 97 women's volleyball tournament on Friday.
San Beda, which opened the season with four early losses, now improved to 2-4 while Mapua absorbed consecutive defeats to slide to 3-3.
With both teams tied at one set apiece, San Beda needed to stave off a gritty third set stand by Mapua as the Lady Red Spikers built an all-important 23-19 lead off a service error from Mapua's Chenie Batac.
Another infraction from Nicole Ong sent San Beda to the set point, 24-20, before the Lady Cardinals mounted a 3-0 run. Trisha Paras, though, went for a down-the-line kill for the set, 25-23.
Mapua leaned on another late-game rally in the fourth, closing the gap to just one, 22-23, after back-to-back attacks from Raina Airyl Vergino.
Paras then delivered the game-winning punch as she scored an off-the-block at the hands of Jolina Babiera and Tere Manalo, 25-23.
Paras nailed a stellar performance with 23 points off 20 attacks, two service aces, and one block while Marianne Louie Tayag chipped in eight markers as San Beda boosted its chances of making the Final Four.
Leading Mapua, meanwhile, were rookie middle blocker Ong, who churned out 15 points, while Princess Babiera had a 13-point outing in the loss.
San Beda will try to extend its winning run to three on Tuesday against San Sebastian while Mapua takes on Lyceum of the Philippines University on Sunday.
—JMB, GMA News
