BACOLOD Tay Tung High School and National University-Nazareth School (NU-NS) extend their perfect runs with hard-earned victories against gritty counterparts to barge into the Final Four of the 2023 Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League (GVIL) Sunday at the San Andres Gym in Manila.
Bacolod needed everything it got to tame University of Santo Tomas (UST), 25-22, 25-23, as NU-NS hacked out a 25-15-25-18 win over Far Eastern University (FEU)-Diliman in the first set of the quarterfinal pairings.
Both squads were dominant in the sweep of their respective groups but met strong resistance this time in the knockout playoffs of the 16-team GVIL backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Potato Corner, Peri-Peri and R&B Tea with the City of Manila as government cooperation partner.
Bacolod’s spikers encountered the bigger challenge as they trailed in both sets against the raging Junior Golden Tigresses before showing steely resolve behind Alexia Marie Montoro’s 11 points.
Jothea Marie Ramos and Mary Bontia contributed nine markers each as Bacolod, which topped Pool B, erased a 10-16 deficit in the second set to fend off UST, the No. 2 seed from Pool D.
“We were a bit off early, our receive was off, even our passing and blocking,” said Bacolod coach Ian Macariola, whose wards trounced Adamson University, Kings Montessori School and Lyceum Cavite in group play.
“Good thing we got our acts together,” he added.
Yesha Noceja and Celine Marsh hammered 12 and 10 points, respectively, as the Lady Bullpups also shrugged off a shaky start to live up to the expectation as the team to beat in the tourney.
Kianne Louise Olango—who led their blowout wins in Pool A against University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, La Salle Lipa and Gracel Christian College Foundation—added six points for the reigning University Athletic Association of the Philippines juniors champion.
“We’re in the semifials but we still have a lot of work to do, we’re not that fluid yet NU-NS coach coach Vilet Ponce-De Leon said.
NU-NS will face the winner between Pool C leader California Academy and Pool B second seed Adamson University while Bacolod clashes against either Pool D pacer Naga College Foundation or Pool A’s No. 2 team La Salle Lipa.
All games of Shakey’s GVIL, in partnership with Athletic Events and Sports Management, Inc., (ACES), will be broadcasted live and on-demand through all social media platforms courtesy of Plus Network with CNN Philippines, Solar Sports and Tap Sports as TV partners.