Host University of St. La Salle-Integrated School failed to recover its bearings Saturday, bowing to an inspired Central Philippine University squad in five sets to end up fourth in its first campaign in the Shakey's Girls Volleyball Tournament of Champions in Bacolod City.

CPU's 25-22, 25-20, 17-25, 25-16, 15-4 victory was sweet revenge for the Iloilo-based volleybelles, who had lost to La Salle in the elimination round at the USLS College Covered Court. The La Sallians were still reeling from the quick defeat they absorbed at the hands of eventual champion Hope Christian School Friday night.

And CPU, winless in three games, wasted little time on pouncing on a dispirited La Salle side as Sheryl Delina spearheaded the attack with 24 points.

The tournament's best blocker, Gianes Dolar, Dancel Jan Dusaran and Kaye Zaldarriaga gave the hosts a ray of hope lifting La Salle's sagging bid in the third and fourth sets.

But they failed to sustain their lethal form in the fifth set, where CPU quickly raced to a 10-2 lead, thanks to a spate of unforced errors by La Salle.

"This tournament is a learning process for them (players)," coach Malot Lozada said. "Most of the players are young and still have many tournaments ahead of them".

Among those players are sophomores Dusaran and Fritz Joy Gallenero and substitute setter Merryl Ledesma.

While the local team's bid ended in futility, Melissa Gohing, a Bacolod native, was the catalyst of Hope's successful title campaign in the tournament that drew 43 teams all over the country.

"Melissa (Gohing) played inspired. She was like three players rolled into one and had more touches than any player on court," Hope coach Jerry Yee told the DAILY STAR.

Hope clinched the title with a 25-20, 25-21, 15-25, 25-12 triumph over University of Southern Philippines Foundation of Cebu. The girls of coach Jerry Yee yielded the first two sets in the tournament in its five-set win over USPF Thursday but quickly found their groove, winning 12 of 13 from there to claim their first national crown, after finishing third last year.

"It's a different atmosphere playing here and we needed to adjust, especially in the first game," Yee, whose team eliminated 2006 champion University of the East in the Manila eliminations, said. "But when the girls got going, I knew we would really go all the way". Tournament Most Valuable Player Jamenea Ferrer delivered inch-perfect sets to Carmela Garbin and to the rest of Hope's attackers.

The 15-year-old Ferrer, a senior, who played despite flu in Hope's first game, scored a single point but her wily plays --- like a reflex defensive dig that caught USPF off-guard and wrapped up the second set --- typified a splendid performance for the Manilans.

Gohing, who hails from Bacolod, covered the backline effectively, her digs providing Ferrer easy second balls to toss for Garbin, who finished with 18 points, 11 on kills to emerge as the tournament's top attacker.

Hope momentarily lost control in the third set, going down 12-25 as Charrylou Paden and Danicka Gendraule took turns in racking up the points off attacks and blocks.

Gendraule, adjudged the best universal player, paced the Cebuanas with 18 points, while Paden, who was named best server, tallied 13 on 12 kills.

"Their intensity went down in the third set and I had to remind them that," said Yee, whose girls responded in the following set to complete the win in 65 minutes.

The Garbin struck her third ace of the match to make it 21-11, before another kill by Jullete So and three straight unforced errors by the Cebuanas handed Hope the crown. So, Beverly Chan and Kathreen Co combined for 16 points. The other individual award went to Joan Brodit of CPU, the best libero.*CPT

back to top

'Football, baseball teams can still make Thai SEAG'
La Salle-IS girls wound up fourth
'Buying of liniment voluntary'