Jaja Tulang shone with a double-double outing as Lyceum of the Philippines University booted out Arellano University, 25-17, 24-26, 25-20, 25-19, on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre to advance to the second round of NCAA Season 99 women’s volleyball stepladder semifinals.
The third-year opposite spiker erupted for 23 points anchored on 16 attacks, five blocks, and two aces alongside 11 digs and eight receptions as the Lady Pirates advanced to another knockout match, this time against the second-seeded Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
"Actually sobrang saya namin kasi 'yung pinaghirapan ng mga bata ay nakikita namin and sobrang proud ako sa mga bata kasi kahit mahirap 'yung ginagawa namin, they still show up," LPU head coach Cromwel Garcia told GMA News Online.
Dropping the second set didn't dampen the drive of the Lady Pirates, cruising to a quick 14-8 lead in the third set before Tulang unleashed four straight points to deliver the set point, 24-19.
A Heart Bio rejection on Laika Tudlasan then sent LPU to the third set victory and a commanding 2-1 set advantage.
The wards of Garcia made sure to establish a huge gap right away in the fourth, mounting a 6-1 start to open the frame while back-to-back points from Johna Dolorito catapulted them to a 14-10 cushion.
Arellano, though, would still trim the gap to just one, 15-16, but the Lady Pirates responded with a 7-1 rampage capped by a Stacey Lopez service ace for a sizable 23-16 lead.
Errors hounded Arellano in the endgame with Donna Paralejas and Harem Ceballos committing costly service errors as LPU sealed the victory.
Dolorito provided help with 17 points and eight digs while Bio chipped in eight markers, giving LPU a lot of options ahead of their do-or-die match against the Lady Knights on Wednesday.
Fhaye Mangubat and Pauline De Guzman, meanwhile, paced Arellano with 13 and 12 points apiece while Tudlasan chimed in with 10 as the Lady Chiefs failed to enter the finals round for the second straight season.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
