V-League: Cagayan maintains loss-less mark, one away from title

The Cagayan Valley Rising Suns are one win away from the Shakey's V-League Season 10 Open Conference title. Should they win on Sunday, they'll be lifting the title with a perfect slate to boot.

Cagayan Valley needed five sets, but ultimately, they triumphed over the Smart-Maynilad Net Spikers, 26-24 25-11 23-25 11-25 15-12, Tuesday at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan, to get the first of two wins needed in their best-of-three Finals series.

The Rising Suns were undefeated through the elimination round, quarterfinals and semifinals, and will remain perfect should they triumph on Sunday, in game two.

Kannika Thipachot, who was earlier named Best Scorer of the conference, lived up to her award, pouring in a game-high 25 points for Cagayan, 22 on coming on spikes. Team captain Maria Angeli Tabaquero added 16 points, all on spikes, while Aizo Maizo provided 10 markers, four via blocks.

Lithawat Kesinee scored 20 for Smart, and Aleona Santiago provided 12, but the team couldn't make things happen in the pivotal fifth set, despite paying back Cagayan's 25-11 second-set drubbing with one of their own in the fourth.

Smart-Maynilad also lost despite a 35-20 advantage in excellent digs, and a 31-21 mark in excellent receptions. - AMD, GMA News