Trisha Genesis and the Adamson University Lady Falcons lived to fight another day, wriggling past the free-swinging St. Benilde Lady Blazers in five grueling sets, 25-12, 21-25, 25-22, 19-25, 15-11, to take Game Two of the 2019 PVL Collegiate Conference semifinals, Wednesday.
Fresh from a crushing five-set loss to St. Benilde three days ago, Genesis refused to let Adamson lose another uphill battle at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
Genesis erupted for 24 points built on 21 attacks and three service aces alongside 15 excellent receptions. The Adamson sophomore took matters into her own hands in the rubber set.
When Gayle Pascual buoyed St. Benilde to an 8-6 cushion, Genesis uncorked consecutive blows to knot the count. Those differential hits sparked a blistering 7-1 — capped by a hammer from Genesis — that helped the Lady Falcons gain the upper hand, 13-9.
Pascual stopped the bleeding with cross-court hammer, but Grace Toring pounced on a free ball to put Adamson at match point, 14-11. A botched sequence from the Lady Falcons then provided a glimmer of hope for St. Benilde. But Genesis proved clutch yet again, as she nailed the kill that forged a rubber match.
“Ngayon hindi sila bumigay. Nung nakaraan ‘pag nagkakamali, easily they’re giving up, pero ngayon nakita ko yung improvement — ‘pag nagkamali sila gusto agad nila bumawi,” Adamson head coach Lerma Giron said.
Lucille Almonte and Rizza Cruz contributed 12 markers apiece. The former rained down all of her points coming from attacks laced with 10 excellent receptions. Meanwhile, Toring chimed in 11 markers anchored on a pair of blocks.
Ceasa Pinar — who detonated 28 points in Game One that went down the drain — supplied nine points. Meanwhile, Adamson setter Louie Romero flashed her all around-brilliance. The rookie playmaker tossed 18 excellent sets, 19 excellent digs, and six markers which included three service bombs.
“Yung mga players, physically, yung health nila… Some of them may lagnat, some of them may ubo’t sipon, [kaya] talagang inaalagaan lang namin sa gamot. Thank god mental toughness nila andun pa rin kumbag mind over matter,” Giron added.
The Lady Falcons out-gunned the Lady Blazers, churning out a 69-46 attack differential. The latter, however, limited their errors down to 24, while the winning squad surrendered 39 — 11 in the crucial fourth set that St. Benilde gladly made the most out of to force a final chapter.
Abriam finished with 23 points from 21 attacks and an ace that went for naught. Pascual managed 14 markers, while Diane Venture chipped in seven points.
In the face of the hard-hitting Lady Falcons, St. Benilde badly missed the services of Mycah Go, who was a defensive force in the series opener with 44 excellent receptions. She sustained a hamstring injury during training last Monday.
Game Three is on Sunday, October 6, at the same venue.
