Arellano University inched closer to a Final Four spot in the NCAA Season 95 Men’s Volleyball Tournament after dismantling Colegio de San Juan de Letran in straight sets, 25-22, 25-12, 25-17, Tuesday at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
The win catapulted Arellano to third seed with a 5-2 slate.
Still, head coach Sherwin Meneses is keeping his players on their toes while putting a premium on a step-by-step approach for the rest of the preliminaries.
“‘Di muna namin iniisip ang standing namin, next game muna ang iisipin namin. Siyempre every game napakaimportante ngayon,” the seasoned mentor said.
Nonetheless, the Chiefs were in their element against the Knights, wrapping up the match in 63 minutes.
“Naging maganda kasi naging mahaba ‘yung preparation namin kasi the last four games namin talagang one or two days lang ang preparation. Ngayon, naging maganda ‘yung resulta ng laro namin today,” Meneses added.
Jesrael Liberato spearheaded Arellano’s scoring thrust with 14 attacks and three kill blocks for a game-high 17. Christian Segovia also made his presence felt, contributing 12 markers built on five of his team’s 14 denials.
Kim Vincent Tan and Christian Dela Paz proved instrumental in the rout as well. Both had eight markers apiece to backstop Liberato and Segovia on the offensive end.
Letran, which fell to 1-5, ended up with no double-digit scorer in the match.
Michael Doria topped the Knights with eight markers, as Brylle Kint Novo and Mhel Gabuyo managed six and five points, respectively.
Arellano seeks to sustain its momentum when it collides with the unscathed EAC Generals on Thursday, February 13. Meanwhile, Letran tries to regain its winning ways when it faces JRU on Monday, February 10. Both matches will be held at the same venue.