Defending champion Arellano University regrouped from a second-set stumble en route to a 25-13, 21-25, 25-16, 25-20 victory over Colegio de San Juan de Letran on Tuesday in the NCAA Season 97 women's volleyball tournament.
The four-peat seeking Arellano improved to 5-1 behind a three-game winning streak and sit just behind league leader College of Saint Benilde, who earlier swept Mapua University.
Letran, meanwhile, slid to 1-5 as the Final Four race heats up with only a few game days left.
In the opening set, the Lady Chiefs didn't waste time asserting dominance, racking up a 10-point cushion off an error from Letran, 23-13, before Trina Abay and Charmina Diño provided the finishing kick.
The Lady Knights, meanwhile, got enough lift from rookie CK Calixto, who sparked the bench as Letran built an important 22-20 lead, in the second frame.
With Arellano struggling to connect, team captain Sheena Urmeneta gave Letran the set point, 24-20, before another hammer from her evened the game at one set apiece.
But the Obet Javier-mentored team roared back in the third with an early 16-11 cushion before they took a 23-16 advantage. Team captain Carla Donato used her speed for a swipe before a Julienne Castro attack mishap handed Arellano the set, 25-16.
Letran tried to put up a fight in the fourth but back-to-back errors from their side made it a 22-16 spread in favor of Arellano en route to the four-set victory.
Donato put up a 16-point performance, 13 of which came from attacks while three were from blocks. Diño and veteran Princess Bello chipped in 12 and 11 markers each.
Arellano will look to bag its fourth straight win on Saturday against University of Perpetual Help System DALTA while Letran will look to bounce back on the same day against Emilio Aguinaldo College.
—JMB, GMA News
