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By ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Wednesday, May 3, 2017
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MANILA – The De La Salle University Lady Spikers moved closer to a title repeat after a 21-25, 29-27, 25-22, 25-20 win over the Ateneo Lady Eagles in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 79 women’s volleyball best-of-three finals on Tuesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Kim Fajardo stood tall with triple-double 10 points, 37 excellent sets and 10 excellent digs for the Lady Spikers, which can complete its back-to-back championship with a win in Game 2 on Saturday.
“Mas gusto niya na manalo (Fajardo). Yung pagiging leader niya lumabas sa game na ito,” said Lady Spikers head coach Ramil de Jesus. “We have to prepare pa rin kasi babalik yang Ateneo sa Game 2.”
Headed for a two set deficit after being down 22-17, the Lady Spikers rallied back in the second frame to tie the count at 22-all on aces by Kim Fajardo. Kim Dy and Desiree Cheng then conspired with their attacks to tie the set at 1-1.
From a tight exchange early in the third set, the Lady Spikers took the lead at 20-17 on back-to-back hits by Cheng. The Lady Eagles kept it close at 22-20 but conversions by Dy, Ilongga Aduke Ogunsaya and Ernestine Tiamzon closed the set.
In another see-saw set in the fourth, the Lady Eagles were up 18-15 before the Lady Spikers answered with a run to tie the score at 18-all. Tiamzon, Fajardo and Dy then mounted a huge 7-2 wind up to snatch the series lead.
Tiamzon top-scored with 15 points, mostly coming in the third and fourth set, while Dy and Cheng added 14 and 10 points, respectively, for the Lady Spikers, which is on its ninth straight finals stint.
Jhoanna Maraguinot finished with 16 points, on 14 attacks, while Bea de Leon contributed 14 markers for the Lady Eagles, which tasted its first defeat at the hands of the Lady Spikers this season./PN
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