Red-hot Mapua University extended its surge after carving out a 25-19, 25-22, 21-25, 27-25 triumph against Colegio de San Juan de Letran to enter the Final Four picture, for now, in the NCAA Season 99 women's volleyball tournament on Friday at FilOil EcoOil Centre.
The Lady Cardinals have now won three games in a row after a shaky start to the season to tie the Lady Knights at the third spot with their similar 4-2 win-loss records as Letran fell to back-to-back defeats.
The youthful Mapua banked on the sophomore-rookie tandem of Roxie Dela Cruz and Raissa Ricablanca to follow up their previous wins against Emilio Aguinaldo College and Jose Rizal University.
The lefty Ricablanca finished with a team-high 19 points built on 15 attacks, three blocks, and an ace while Dela Cruz put together an all-around outing of 14 markers, 11 digs, and 10 receptions for a triple-double showing.
They had the chance to deal Letran back-to-back blowouts, but the Lady Cardinals wasted an early 15-10 lead in the third set which allowed the Lady Knights to tie things up at 21-all before alternate setter Aziejay Yap sent them to set point, 24-21. Judiel Nitura then forced a fourth set after completing a kill from the right wing.
It was almost the same scenario in the succeeding set after Letran climbed from an 18-23 deficit and even took a 24-23 cushion following two consecutive attack errors from Mapua rookie Freigh Anne Garcia.
Opposite hitter Ricablanca, however, caught the endline on her attack while Nitura went wide on her kill as Mapua took the hard-fought victory.
Lea Tapang, who was only inserted in the last two sets, led Letran with 12 points, 11 digs, and five receptions while Nitura and rookie Gia Maquilang each chipped in 10 markers.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
