Laika Tudlasan and Moming Padillon flipped the switch late to lift Arellano University to a 26-28, 25-14, 22-25, 25-23, 15-10 comeback win over Mapua University in the NCAA Season 100 women's volleyball tournament on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Tudlasan fired a career-high 26 points, including six in the decisive fifth set, while Padillon chipped in 21 markers as the Lady Chiefs erased an eight-point deficit in the fourth before dominating the fifth en route to the win.
Arellano, which was coming off a four-set loss to San Sebastian the other day, forged a triple tie at the third spot with Perpetual and Mapua at 7-4.
"Hindi ko rin po masabi kung paano namin na-comeback 'yung fourth set pero nagtiwala lang kami talaga sa isa't-isa, nakinig kami sa coaches," Tudlasan said.
"Kinapitan lang talaga namin. Hanggang hindi 25 hindi pa tapos. Inisa-isa lang namin."
Arellano was on the verge of absorbing their back-to-back losses after staring at a 10-18 deficit in the fourth set, but the Lady Chiefs refused to fold with Tudlasan and Padillon fueling the resurgence.
They forced a 21-all deadlock after a Tudlasan kill before Mapua committed an error that dragged both teams to a fifth set.
Tudlasan continued her brilliance by going down the line to spark a hot 3-0 start for Arellano while a Padillon open hammer saw them mounting an 8-4 cushion.
But Mapua staged its own rally with Nadine Berces instigating a 4-0 rampage that tied things up at 8-all.
Tudlasan, though, was just too much for the Lady Cardinals after the third-year spiker scored four of their last seven points to seal the come-from-behind act.
The loss spoiled Freighanne Garcia and Raissa Ricablanca's efforts with the former pouring in 21 points and 17 receptions while the latter chipped in 20 markers.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
