Defending champion National University–Nazareth School survived a serious scare from a gritty St. John’s Institute side, 20-25, 32-30, 15-12, to secure a Final Four berth in the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League Rising Stars Cup Division 1 on Wednesday at the La Salle Green Hills Gym.
Xyz Rayco delivered clutch plays to rescue the Lady Bullpups in a tightly contested second set before NUNS leaned on a decisive run in the third frame to complete a thrilling escape and stay on track for a repeat crown.
The reigning UAAP champion erupted for six straight points to build a 9-5 cushion in the third set after trailing by two. Caera Celis spearheaded SJI’s fightback, trimming the gap to 13-11, before Raine Alonzo pushed NUNS to match point. Celis saved one for SJI, but Jhaynna Bulandres delivered the finishing blow with a booming kill to seal the one-hour-and-31-minute victory.
“Sobang hirap nilang kalaban kasi marunong din sila pero yung mindset namin is to stay focused sa court and teamwork palagi,” said Rayco, who finished with 12 points on 11 kills and an ace.
Bulandres also finished with 12 points, while Alonzo added nine markers for NUNS, which will face University of Santo Tomas on Thursday in the knockout semifinal of the country’s biggest grassroots volleyball league backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner, and R and B Milk Tea.
Rayco accounted for three of the Lady Bullpups’ five set points saved in the extended second frame.
NUNS reached set point first at 30-29, but Kristel Mirasol tied it at 30 off a kill. Alonzo then scored off an attack before SJI yielded the frame via a net fault, forcing a deciding set.
Celis led SJI with 19 points on 16 kills, two kill blocks, and an ace.
(C) Roman Prospero/SSL
In other matches, the Junior Golden Tigresses swept King’s Montessori School, 25-19, 25-21, to advance to the semifinals.
Last year’s runner-up Bacolod Tay Tung also secured a Final Four spot at the expense of 2024 champion Adamson University, 25-21, 25-21.
Rhose Almendralejo paced the Thunderbolts with 16 points on 11 kills and five aces.
(C) Roman Prospero/SSL
Bacolod Tay Tung will face Far Eastern University–Diliman, which eliminated Immaculada Conception College, 25-11, 25-17, in the next round.
