By: Rylie San Juan
Photo courtesy of: NCAA Philippines
The Letran Knights ended their run for the NCAA Season 101 Men's Volleyball Tournamentn on a high note, bagging the bronze medal after eliminating last year’s finals opponent, the Arellano Chiefs 3-2, with a final tally of 21-25, 24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 15-13.
Dave Lardizabal carried the load for Letran, scoring 24 points on 21 attacks and racking up three blocks and 14 digs. Vince Himzon was not far behind, piling up 22 markers all coming from attacks, while Lou Ambrocio concluded the match with 13 points and 16 receptions.
The Chiefs looked promising in the first two sets, dominating the matchup right off the bat and securing a 2-0 set advantage against the Knights.
With their backs against the wall, the Knights looked to their core players for a spark, Ambrocio, Lardizabal, and Himzon all showed up and fought hard to avoid the sweep. As the Knights ran on all cylinders, they smothered the Chiefs with powerful attacks and excellent digs, owning the opposition on both sides of the floor.
After taking set three in dominating fashion, all momentum was on Letran’s side. Though the sets remained close, the Chiefs were unable to close out the game. Letran cruised through sets four and five while Arellano remained stunned as the Knights completed the reverse sweep and closed out their season 101 run at third place.
Jiwen Sinuto recorded 22 points for the chiefs, while CJ Dominguito racked up 19 points to go with 23 receptions.