Lady Stags buck Knights, share NC volley lead

MANILA, Philippines - San Sebastian put its act together in the decider as it foiled Letran, 28-26, 25-14, 24-26, 24-26, 15-7, to gain a share of the lead with titleholder St. Benilde in women’s play of the 92nd NCAA volleyball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan yesterday.

Joyce Sta. Rita, Nikkma Mariel Dalisay, Dangie Encarnacion and Katherine Villegas stepped up as Grethcel Soltones struggled while trying to find her rhythm, combining for 50 hits, to power the Lady Stags to their third straight victory in the early going of the tournament.

Soltones, the reigning back-to-back MVP, groped for form but still wound up with 15 points, including 12 kills, majority of which she delivered in the first two sets.

San Sebastian coach Roger Gorayeb, back on the SSC bench after missing the team’s first two games, rued his wards’ lack of killer’s instinct for their near-collapse.

“It’s a simple case of overconfidence that it almost cost us the game,” said Gorayeb. “This is a single-round robin elimination and all the games here matter. Every game is a championship game,” said Gorayeb.

Meanwhile, the Lady Knights took their third straight five-set defeat after losing to the Lyceum of the Phl U Lady Pirates, 21-25, 25-16, 21-25, 25-22, 15-10, last Nov. 14 and to the Lady Blazers, 27-25, 25-23, 22-25, 7-25, 12-15, last Sunday.

San Sebastian completed its sweep of Letran as it men’s squad pulled off a 16-25, 25-19, 25-17, 16-25, 15-13 triumph to tie its victim at 1-2.

In juniors’ action, Letran trounced San Sebastian, 25-12, 25-16, 19-25, 25-21, to improve to 2-1.

The Staglets dropped to 0-2.