Defending champion University of St. La Salle-Integrated School needed five sets to tame the hard fighting team from Central Philippine University to keep its regional title of the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball League at the USLS College Covered Court yesterday.

With service errors hounding them, the La Salle girls dropped the first set, 24-26, but managed to bounce back in the second set, 25-17.

CPU took an early lead in the third set as with well-placed spikes from the tandem Helene Guia Celiz and Nestlie Gonzales, but USLS caught up with them and wrest the lead at 12-14 with Bernadeth Pons serving.

Keeping their focus, the visitors from Iloilo chased the ball and traded volleys with the defending champs to win the third set, 25-20.

With their national title on the line, USLS-IS dug in their heels and attacked the net to pull away after a 6-6 deadlock for a dominating 25-13 fourth set tally.

From then on, the La Sallians never looked back as they delivered the final blow against CPU, 15-2, in the final set.

“It was a good game with the CPU team putting on a big fight,” USLS-IS champin coach Malot Lozada said.

With the team having to contend with a three-set championship match against Talisay City’s Rafael B. Lacson Memorial High School during the finals of the Negros eliminations the previous day, Lozada said the girls needed time to get their game going against CPU.

Congratulating USLS-IS for winning the match, coach Jeffrey Alcarde of CPU said he was happy with the way his team played although they could have done better if they were not too tired after traveling on rough seas from Iloilo early in the morning.

He added that four members of the team will play for Iloilo’s secondary girls volleyball squad in the 2012 WVRAA Meet this week.

Coach Lozada, on the other hand, said the same USLS-IS team will suit up for Negros in the regional meet, after which, they will head for Davao City for the SGVL national finals.

The members of the champion team are: Mycka Navarro, Bea Tranquilo, Ma. Gizelle Jessica Tan, Ma. Trixy Navarro, Michelle Tamboong, Ma. Arielle Entrañero, Katya Grabato, Bernadeth Pons, Kassandra Miren Gequillana, Sharmaine Flores, Patricia Kim Rasmo, and Chiara Marie Bantiling. Assistant coach is Rebbie Delotindo

The runner-up team from Iloilo was composed of: Damiel Pamplona, Joy Mae Salapantan, Nestlie Gonzales, Helene Celiz, Cherry May De la Cuadra, Caryl de la Cruz, Liana Rose Jamayo, Roma Joy Doromal, Renee Rose Jamayo, Sarah Jean Gonzaga, and Jann Megan Allyson Gayona.*NAB

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