THE University of San Jose- Recoletos (USJ-R) forced a rubber match after pulling off a convincing win over the 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 at the Aznar Coliseum on Sunday, October 27, 2019.
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 and took a 25-23 score.
USJ-R, however, played steady and roared in the third set with the largest margin at 25-17 before finishing off USP-F 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 in 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, 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).