Arellano ousts José Rizal to face Benilde in Finals
ARELLANO University (AU) put an end to José Rizal University’s (JRU) fairy tale run while bolstering its chances of snaring a four-peat feat with a 19-25, 25-20, 27-25, 25-17 victory on Sunday in the 97th NCAA volleyball tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Unheralded Pauline de Guzman came out of nowhere and unleashed a match-best 19 points including 15 on kills and three service aces to carry the Lady Chiefs to their fourth straight finals appearance and a chance for an amazing four-peat feat.
There, AU will clash with the league titan in College of St. Benilde (CSB), which swept its way straight to the best-of-three finals on a magnificent nine-win elimination round record.
The series starts on Wednesday while Game Two on Friday.
A deciding Game Three, if necessary, is Sunday.
It looked like though that AU won’t make it that far after starting the game a little nervous and sluggish and dropped the opening set to the gritty JRU team that was seeking a first finals trip in its history in the first and oldest collegiate league in the land.
But the Lady Chiefs managed to shake off the rust and showed nerves of steel from there to take the final three sets and the match.
“We got a little lucky there,” said AU Obet Javier.
But luck was far from the reason the reigning three-peat champions made it through.
It was actually Mr. Javier’s brilliance of pulling Ms. De Guzman, who was never even in the top 50 in the league’s top scorers, out of his hat of magic tricks that spelled the biggest difference.
“I asked her (Ms. De Guzman) if she wants play and she answered with a firm yes,” said Mr. Javier.
That magic stroke sent the Lady Bombers packing and in tears as they missed the chance of having a date with destiny.
It was AU who will try to test fate instead as it faces an unflappable CSB in a finale that the latter is heavily favored to win.
“It’s like playing a wall, a tower. But we’ll take the challenge,” said Mr. Javier. — Joey Villar
