NOT even a bum stomach could slow down Neriza Bautista’s superb performance.

The guest player scored a game-high 30 points in spite of a case of diarrhea as Adamson University dominated Ateneo, 25-7, 25-14, 23-25, 25-22, Tuesday in Game One of the best-of-three championship series of the Shakey’s V-League Season Five at The Arena in San Juan.

“Kayang-kaya pa rin,” said the 22-year-old from Iloilo. “Maganda ang communication namin kaya nakakakuha ako ng magandang sets.”

“It was an MVP performance. She [Bautista] took medicines before the match but her condition did not affect her game at all,” said Adamson coach Dulce Pante in Filipino.

Rissa Jane Laguilles had 16 points, all on attacks, while Angela Benting had 12 to give Adamson first blood in the series.

The Lady Falcons, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 70 runners-up, go for sweep on Friday also at The Arena. Game Three, if necessary, is slated Sunday in the same venue.

Except for the third set and a few moments in the fourth, the Lady Falcons completely dominated the Lady Eagles. They led by as many as 17 points, 21-4, in the first. Bautista scored five of Adamson’s 6-0 blast in the second for a 13-8 lead.

“We were so relaxed. I’m so confident that we can beat this team,” said Pante. The Lady Eagles tried to extend the game as they did in their semifinal outing against Lyceum. But they fell short this time.

Adamson foiled every Ateneo offensive with a solid defense combined with Bautista’s scoring prowess in the first two sets.

Two straight Adamson errors capped off a 7-0 run by Ateneo to take a 15-12 lead. With Ateneo having five set points, Adamson threatened scoring four straight markers but libero Lizlee Gata committed an error as the Blue Eagles secured the set victory.

San Sebastian College-Recoletos rolled to a 25-17, 27-25, 25-23 win over Lyceum to take Game One of their best-of-three series for third place.

Thai import Jaroensri Bualee finished with a game-high 23 points, while Jinni Mondejar and Rysabelle Devanadera had 12 and 11 points each for the Lady Stags.

Dahlia Cruz had 12 markers—the only double-figure individual score for Lyceum, which dropped the final three sets against Ateneo to lose out a finals spot.

Meanwhile, the league, sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza and organized by Sports Vision, will hand out its awards to the season’s top players, including the Most Valuable Player, best scorer, attacker, blocker and most improved player on Friday. The rites will be held in between the battle for third and the championship match.

The San Sebastian-Lyceum matchup will be televised on Wednesday at 2 p.m. on NBN-4, while the Adamson-Ateneo Game One tiff will be telecast on Thursday at 2 p.m. also on NBN-4. For more information, log in to www.v-league.ph.

Pacquiao first, future second

WHILE the camp of Manny Pacquiao continues to talk about other possible major fights in the near future, David Diaz prefers not to look ahead and, instead, focus on the task at hand.

Solar via unanimous decision

THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has a new home for the next three seasons.

The board of governors unanimously picked Solar Sports as the league’s new television coveror, commissioner Sonny Barrios announced Tuesday after their meeting at the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City.

AFTER two failed bids, Red Bull try once more to clinch the elusive win No. 8 when it faces Air21 in their scheduled rematch this afternoon at the Araneta Coliseum.

THE cream of country’s athletics crop will have their hands full against foreign entries in the 2008 Milo National Open track and field championships which kicks off tomorrow at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.

NOT even a credible performance by the Philippine wushu team in the 2007 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games will stop them from preparing doubly hard for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

NOT even a bum stomach could slow down Neriza Bautista’s superb performance.

The guest player scored a game-high 30 points in spite of a case of diarrhea as Adamson University dominated Ateneo, 25-7, 25-14, 23-25, 25-22, Tuesday in Game One of the best-of-three championship series of the Shakey’s V-League Season Five at The Arena in San Juan.

ASIAN Tour stalwart Artemio Murakami has earned his major debut after finishing as joint medalist in the US Open sectional qualifying in Japan on Monday.

My coorganizer in the Nike Elite Camp recently held in Laguna, Alex Compton, is one example on how to take school seriously.

Compton graduated from Ivy League school Cornell U, where he also played before playing in the Philippines.