Photo courtesy of NCAA.
The University of Perpetual Help System DALTA secured the top spot in Group A of NCAA Season 101 women’s volleyball after a thrilling 25-20, 21-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-6 victory over Mapua University on Sunday at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila.
The Lady ALTAs struggled in Sets 2 and 4 but delivered when it mattered, with Cy Almeniana and Jem Menor leading a decisive fifth-set surge that improved their record to 11-2.
Mapua fell to 5-7, leaving Perpetual firmly atop the group standings.
Almeniana exploded for 28 points, including five in the final set, while Menor and Camille Bustamante contributed 14 and 13 markers respectively, powering the Lady ALTAs past a resilient Mapua squad.
Perpetual jumped to a 6-0 lead in the fifth set, fueled by two attacks from Almeniana and two consecutive kills by Menor that extended the advantage to 10-3.
Geraldine Palacio then scored a key point against Franchesca Esteban to push the lead to 13-5, before Almeniana closed out the match with two straight points.
For Mapua, rookie Alexander Leabres and veteran Raissa Ricablanca each tallied 18 points, while Freighanne Garcia added 14 markers in the losing effort.
The victory cemented Perpetual Help’s status as Group A leaders and set the stage for a strong showing in the knockout rounds.