Perpetual’s Shaila Omipon. –SSL PHOTO
University of Perpetual Help System Dalta demolished Ateneo de Manila, 25-16, 30-28, 25-19, to fan its semifinals hopes on Sunday in the 2025 V-League Collegiate Challenge at Paco Arena Events and Sports Center in Manila.
Reeling from a narrow five-set defeat to Colegio de San Juan de Letran last week, the Lady Altas got timely hits from Shaila Omipon and Geraldine Palacio to seal a crucial victory—made possible by an epic second-set rally—to stay in the running of making it past group play.
Omipon finished with 11 points made up of nine attacks and two aces. She also had 11 excellent digs and seven excellent receptions as the Lady Altas rose to 2-3 and kept the Blue Eagles winless in five games.
Perpetual is now just a game behind Letran (2-2) for fourth place.
“It was a matter of heart,” Perpetual coach Sandy Rieta said in Filipino. “I just told my players to leave everything on the floor and play their hearts out. And they delivered.”
Ateneo was on the verge of tying the match in the second set after a Dona de Leon block and a Charisse Enrico attack error gave the Blue Eagles a 24-20 lead.
But Perpetual surged at the perfect moment, overcoming eight Ateneo set points in the extended second frame.
Back-to-back errors by Gena Hora and Faye Nisperos, along with a Palacio rejection on Ana Hermosura, completed the Lady Altas’ remarkable fightback, giving them a two-set advantage.
Aces to break away
Perpetual weathered a back-and-forth start in the third set, turning a 13-all deadlock into a pivotal 17-13 lead behind consecutive aces from Omipon.
That run proved decisive as a Pauline Reyes down-the-line kill, an Omipon cutshot, and back-to-back errors by Nisperos sealed the Lady Altas’ sweep of the Blue Eagles in just 88 minutes.
Palacio finished with nine points on four blocks, three aces, and two attacks, while Jemalyn Menor and Reyes contributed eight points each.
Charisse Enrico added seven points for Ateneo, including four attacks and three blocks, while Nicollette Gaa delivered 16 excellent sets alongside three points.
Perpetual will look to further strengthen its semifinals bid when it faces Arellano University on Saturday.
Ateneo’s woes piled up after taking another defeat at the hands of an NCAA school in Perpetual. The Eagles’ other setbacks were dealt by College of Saint Benilde and Mapua University.
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No Blue Eagle reached double digits, with Nisperos leading the team with seven points on six attacks, while Jihan Chuatico and Chucel Njigha tallied six points each.
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