THE University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) forced a rubber match after pulling off a convincing win over defending champions University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) in Game 2 of their best-of-three championship series in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) girls’ volleyball tournament on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, at the Aznar Coliseum.

With their back against the wall, USJ-R answered with style and defeated USPF in four sets, 28-26, 23-25, 25-17, 25-17, to even the series at 1-1 and arrange a winner-take-all Game 3 on Monday at 1:30 p.m. at the same venue.

USJ-R and USPF figured in a close encounter in the first set. USJ-R scored the first set-point at 25-24, but USPF managed to gain control at 26-25 before USJ-R knotted the game at 26-all to make it more interesting.

USJ-R scored from an attack before Louneth Marie Abangan delivered the final blow with a beautiful ace to take the thrilling first set, 28-26.

USPF retaliated in the next set, 25-23 , before USJ-R roared in the third set with the largest margin at 25-17 before finishing off USPF with an identical score in the fourth set, sending the series to Game 3.

USPF drew first blood in the championship series after winning Game 1 on Saturday.

All the individual awards except the MVP were handed out before Game 2 tipped off.

Jennifer Louise Delos Santos of Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) was named the First Best Outside Spiker; Abangan of USJ-R took the Second Best Outside Spiker; Mitzi Panangin of USPF won the First Middle Blocker; Chenie Tagaod of USJ-R snagged the Second Middle Blocker; Tracy Cortes of USPF was named the Best Opposite Spiker; Vanessa Minoza took the Best Setter award; and Mates Gloria of USPF was the Best Libero.

In the boys’ division, the awardees are Rico Academia of USJ-R (First Best Outside Spiker), June Wilfil Yungco of University of San Carlos (Second Best Outside Spiker), Jeffer Guerrero of the University of Cebu-Main ((First Middle Blocker), Ryan Lloyd Pantilgan of USJ-R (Second Middle Blocker), Marcus Domwic Mina of SHS-AdC (Best Opposite Spiker), Sander Rizaga of USPF (Best Setter) and Kobe Bryan Rizaga (Best Libero). (RSC)