Arellano University kept its perfect record intact in the V-League after outlasting De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in a five-set thriller in the 2026 V-League Collegiate Challenge on Saturday at Gameville Central Park in Mandaluyong City.

The Lady Chiefs showcased their grit down the stretch to fend off the Lady Blazers, 19-25, 25-17, 34-32, 16-25, 15-7, in a match that lasted exactly two hours.

With the victory, Arellano remained unbeaten at 3-0, while Saint Benilde dropped to 1-2. However, Adamson University can still forge a tie with Arellano on top pending the result of its battle against Letran College at press time.

After surviving a grueling third set that lasted 39 minutes, the Lady Blazers bounced back in the fourth set, capitalizing on the Lady Chiefs’ late miscues to force a decider.

“We are very happy, and of course, we faced a top-caliber NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) team earlier. In a way, our hard work over the past few days really paid off,” Arellano head coach Obet Javier said.

“I just reminded them why they lost the fourth set… coming into the fifth set, I told them that if they wanted to win, they had to work for it because otherwise, all their efforts would go to waste.”

Leading 11-7 in the final set, the Lady Chiefs never looked back, closing the match with a 4-0 run capped by Cristana Servidad’s corner shot to preserve Arellano’s perfect start.

Samantha Tiratira sizzled with 13 points, while Servidad and Catherine Chu chipped in 12 points apiece for the Lady Chiefs, who will look for their fourth straight victory when they face University of Perpetual Help System Dalta on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Mary Borromeo and Camila Bartolome led the Lady Blazers with 18 points each, while Fionna Innocentes added 16 markers.