By: Kim Yoshi Espiritu
The Colegio de San Juan de Letran both men’s and women’s division improved their performance by securing a four set win against the San Beda University. Photo Courtesy: Nathan Binoya.
Women’s Division
The Colegio de San Juan de Letran Lady Knights bounced back with a win against the San Beda University Lady Red Spikers, 22-25, 25-18, 25-13, 25-16, yesterday in the NCAA Season 100 volleyball tournament at the Emilio Aguinaldo College Gym.
Letran’s Vanessa Sarie redeemed the team’s previous loss against Arellano with an outstanding 21 points from 48 total attacks. While previous top scorer Judiel Nitura churned out 17 points to help grab three sets from Mendiola's side.
Team captain Lara Mae Silva made her presence felt on the floor after 26 excellent digs — strengthening her bid for another best libero award. Natalie Estreller, meanwhile, did not waste their libero’s efforts as she converted 21 excellent sets, two blocks and a pair of service aces.
San Beda managed to snag the first set, 22-25, after the trailing Lady Knights miscommunicated and committed unforced errors. These mistakes, however, awakened their senses and forced them to raise the ante in every possession.
Come the second frame, Letran relied on Silva’s defensive instincts to orchestrate a play leading to Yen Martin’s drop ball for a four-point lead, 8-4. Their squad further capitalized on SBU’s errors which translated to a 25-18 advantage.
The positive chemistry of their power strikes and cunning plays proved suffocating for the Lady Red Spikers, pinning them to a game-high 12-point deficit in the third set, 25-13.
Sarie opened the fourth with intense desire to close the game as she fired a point-blank spike in zone two to break the defenders’ wall. The white shirts pulled away once again at the 15-point mark thanks to Yen Martin’s attacks and service ace. It was the same defensive breakdown that made San Beda falter, 25-16.
The opponents clearly struggled on offense, having no players eclipse double-digit scoring. San Beda’s Erin Navarro finished with eight points, two blocks, and two aces, while veterans, Reyann Cañete and Sofia Dela Cruz each provided six points in the loss that kept them at a winless standing, 0-7.
Men’s Division
The Letran Knights dispatched the Red Spikers in four after a third-set scare, 25-23, 25-18, 19-25, 25-19, to jump back into the winning column.
San Beda failed to contain Vince Himzon who spearheaded Letran’s offensive push built on a highly-efficient 19 points from 24 attacks, four blocks, and a service ace. Bembem Bautista also ignited the match, contributing 18 points.
After blocking out the first two possessions, SBU had to be on the receiving end of a Himzon-Bautista beatdown — looting five straight points in the opening set before knotting the score at 15-15.
The long rally was eventually won by the Knights, giving them extra momentum heading to the second frame where the duo acted as one-two combination hits from the middle and outside zones.
Himzon’s approach rattled the defensive gameplan of the Red Spikers after getting dynamic in his jumps, which was usually just a straight high leap from the middle, but now emerging from the outside area to slam quick tosses from John Wayne Araño.
While on pace for a sweep, the Intramuros-based squads stumbled from the deadlock of the third set, losing six straight points to San Beda, 13-19. Their offense got shackled and lost the set, 19-25, after a service error by Araño.
The Knights, however, leaped over this bump in the road and directed their efforts on the defensive end. At match point, SBU’s Ralph Cabalsa spiked the ball outside to yield the match, 25-19.
Axel Van Book led most of their attacks with 18 points, while Anrie Bakil and Ryan Rosman contributed 12 points, respectively.
Both teams will face volleyball powerhouse, University of Perpetual Help System-Dalta, in match 38 of the elimination rounds on April 3, 2025, at the UPHSD Gym.