FEU Lady Tamaraws in the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) in Batangas.–SSL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Far Eastern University and NCAA champion College of Saint Benilde clash for the 2025 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) National Invitationals Batangas Leg supremacy on Sunday after staying unbeaten in two games at the University of Batangas Millennium Gym.
FEU demolished an overmatched University of Batangas, 25-14, 25-7, 25-19, cruising to its second straight victory without dropping a set in the tournament.
READ: Benilde opens SSL Batangas Leg with dominant win
Last year’s runner-up FEU tied College of Saint Benilde at the top of the standings with an untarnished 2-0 win-loss record, turning their Sunday clash into a virtual title showdown at 6 p.m.
The Lady Tamaraws relied on their service game in a closing 8-1 rally to keep the host squad listless after two outings.
Middle blocker Mitzi Panangin paced FEU with 10 points off eight kills and two kill blocks.
Faida Bakanke and Lovely Lopez scored nine markers each while Clarisse Loresco, Gerzel Petallo and Ia David had five points apiece for the Lady Tamaraws, who now have a chance to settle an unfinished business.
“It’s still different being on this level or this stage where we’re fighting for the championship. We need to show the maturity and decision-making–things we don’t see during training,” FEU coach Tina Salak said in Filipino.
READ: FEU Lady Tamaraws eye strong showing in SSL Batangas Leg
“Hopefully, we’ll have better chemistry inside court and we’re able to minimize our errors.”
FEU trailed UB, 17-18, in the third set before David landed back-to-back aces to spark the Lady Tamaraws’ closing spurt.
Kylie Macatangay had 10 points to lead the Lady Brahmans, who started the third frame with an 8-4 advantage. Dhenise Saldo and Riza Drice finished with four markers each.
Meanwhile, College Saint Benilde went through the wringer before turning back gritty Letran, 27-29, 25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 15-8.
A tongue-lashing from head coach Jerry Yee following a fourth-set meltdown woke up the four-time NCAA champions Lady Blazers to dominate the decider and remain unscathed in the tournament.
READ: Adamson dominates Ateneo to complete SSL sweep
Shahanna Lleses took over at crunch time, scoring four of her team-high 19 points in the fifth frame for CSB, which once again stamped its class over the same squad it defeated in the last two NCAA finals.
Zam Nolasco added 16 markers while Clydel Catarig added 13 points for the Lady Blazers.
CSB unleashed a telling 7-1 run to turn a tight 4-4 start of the fifth set into an 11-5 Lady Blazers advantage, punctuated by a Lleses kill. CSB kept its distance the rest of the way to emerge on top of the two-hour, 27-minute encounter.
CSB threw away a golden opportunity to finish the game in the fourth set after allowing the Lady Knights to recover from a 23-22 deficit. Letran’s Natalie Estreller tied it at 23 before the Lady Blazers had a reception miscue, followed by an overreceive by libero Jessa Dorog that Leonilyn Padilla took advantage of to score an easy dink to force a fifth set.
Judiel Nitura saw her 25 points, all coming from kills, come to naught as the Lady Knights fell to a 0-2 slate.
READ: USC tops rival USPF for podium finish in SSL Cebu
Sheena Sarie and Nizelle Martin scored 17 markers each while Padilla added 11 for Letran.
Letran buried CSB, 24-20, in the opening frame but wasted six set point advantages and even went behind, 26-27, after a Nolasco hit. Sarie knotted it at 27 before the Lady Knights regained the lead following a Che Basarte attack error.
Jade Isar won the frame for Letran with a solid kill block over Rhea Densing.
The Lady Blazers recovered lost ground in the second set but not after surviving another tight race to the finish. CSB shattered a 20-20 deadlock with a closing 5-2 run for the match equalizer.
It was more of the same in the third frame as the Lady Blazers whipped up a 4-1 finishing kick to break a 21-21 tie for a 2-1 match advantage.
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Letran and UB try to avoid a winless Luzon leg in a 4 p.m. clash on Sunday.
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