UAAP: Adamson outlasts UP in five-setter

With both teams starting the tourney with a 0-1 record, one squad was bound to take home their first W. In the end, the ladies from San Marcelino had more experience, will, and moxie to record their first win in Season 76, as the Adamson University Lady Falcons outlasted the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons in a five-set barnburner, 23-25 25-22 25-27 25-18 15-8 on Sunday, at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

 

The game was supposed to be a prelude to the main event, a De La Salle-UST tiff, but the young Fighting Maroons gave the Falcons a run for their money, sending Adamson to a do-or-die fifth set. Mayette Zapanta scored 17 points off 17 attacks, including five of Adamson’s last six points to lead the Lady Falcons over a nubile UP team.

 

The Maroons showed flashes of brilliance, especially in blocking department, with a disparity of nine to Adamson’s two. Rookie Kathy Bersola recorded a team-high three blocks, while Nicole Tiamzon tallied two. An energetic UP defense coupled with 23 Adamson errors spelt trouble for the more seasoned Lady Falcons.

 

The win marks Adamson’s first of the season, and their first without Pau Soriano.

 

The early portion of the first set seemed like a rout, as Guevarra and Villanueva made the most of their opportunities up front. The Falcons’ duo of Cortel and Pineda soon joined the scoring party for an 8-2 lead, but the Maroons responded with points courtesy of Chester Ong, who did most of the damage from the middle. Contributions from Bersola and errors from Adamson brought the Maroons closer, 14-9.

 

The Lady Maroons slashed the lead to just two points, as Adamson errors compounded scores from Bersola and Araneta, 15-13. Villanueva, Cortel, and Pineda all took turns punishing UP, as Pineda scored the brunt of their markers to maintain a one-point lead for Adamson, 20-19. At this point, teams went tooth and nail, as Villanueva and Araneta traded scores until a kill by Araneta and an ace by Espinosa iced the first set at 25-23 for UP.

 

Anchored by Angeli Araneta, the Diliman contingent continued its excellent blocking for an 8-4 edge. Faye Guevarra then led an Adamson rally to bring them within a point, 9-8. Guevara, however, would put them in another deficit, as an error and a mis-hit put Adamson behind by four. Blocking by Bersola and Araneta prevented any runs from Adamson, as UP maintained a three-point lead before the second technical timeout, 16-13.

 

Adamson took the lead after a kill by Cortel. Villanueva checked back in for the Falcons and gave them the lead late, 22-21, while starting a string of hits for Adamson made it 24-22. Zapanta then wrapped up the second set with an attack from the right as Adamson finally won its first set of Season 76, 25-22.

 

The Lady Falcons started the third frame with purpose, as Macatuno, Cortel and Pineda took turns scoring for an 8-3 lead. UP struggled, until the duo of Bersola and Tiamzon whittled the lead down to two to force Adamson coach Meneses to call for time, 11-9. Coach Meneses plugged Alkuino up front and the move paid off, as she scored two quick points before the second technical timeout, 16-13.

 

An attack from Ong and consecutive errors from Galanza made it a close game, 18-17, before Coach Meneses called for respite. Alkuino and Lebumfacil put Adamson up by three anew, 20-17, but their errors had UP knotting the set at 23-all. After Zapanta, Cortel and Araneta traded hits for their respective squads, Ong powered a spike through Adamson’s blocking defense and a long ball from Adamson handed set three to UP, 27-25.

 

With the first win at stake, both teams gnawed at each other until Pineda made another miscue, while Tiamzon and Bersola scored two straight for UP to lead early, 8-5. The Lady Falcons recovered though, as Villanueva and Pineda again took up the cudgels in the front, giving them a three-point lead at 20-17.

 

Adamson maintained the lead for most of the set, while UP failed to put points on the board as their defense waned. Three straight kills closed out the fourth set, 25-18.

 

The Lady Maroons pushed the Falcons to a tie, 5-5, midway through the decisive set, but Adamson’s veterans stepped up to the plate, as Pineda scored two straight spikes to put them ahead by a point, and started another rally which Zapanta finished, to make it a 14-8 game. Macatuno’s spike wrote finis to the game.

 

Pineda tallied 21 points, 20 off spikes, to lead her team. Zapanta added 17, Guevara followed suit with 16, Villanueva helped with 13, and Marleen Cortel scored 12. Macatuno tallied 31 sets for Adamson.

 

Araneta top-scored for her team with 18, followed by Bersola with 17, and Ong with 11. Tiamzon recorded 33 sets for UP.

 

The Lady Falcons look to add to the win column as they face off against the Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles on December 14 at 4pm, while the 0-2 UP Lady Maroons seek their first win against the 1-1 FEU Lady Tamaraws on December 11 at 2pm. - RAF, GMA News