REIGNING Most Valuable Player Grethcel Soltones played true to form and powered San Sebastian to a 25-16, 25-13, 25-16 demolition of San Beda to seize a share of the lead with defending champion College of Saint Benilde in the 92nd National Collegiate Athletic Association women’s volleyball tournament on Thursday at the Filoil Flying Center in San Juan City.
The power-hitting Soltones unloaded a match-best 21 hits, 20 on spikes, as the Lady Stags clinched their fourth straight victory and catch the Lady Blazers at the helm.
Soltones, who was averaging 17 points entering the game, was coming off an 11-point effort in a 28-26, 25-14, 24-26, 24-26, 15-7 escape win over pesky Letran last week.
“The last game was a wake-up call and the team vowed to come back strong,” San Sebastian Coach Roger Gorayeb said.
Francesca Racraquin paced the Red Spikers with 11 hits, but they just didn’t have an answer to Soltones, who was on attack mode all game. San Beda fell to its first defeat after winning its first three outings.
San Beda overpowered San Sebastian, 25-13, 25-23, 25-17, to zoom to joint second with Saint Benilde on a 3-1 (win-loss) record in the men’s division.
In juniors’ action, San Beda turned back San Sebastian, 19-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-23, to nail its first win in four games. The Staglets fell to 0-3.
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza