By: Rylie San Juan
Photo Courtesy: NCAA Philippines
Mens Division
The Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights climbed back after being down two sets to none, snatching the win from the San Sebastian Golden Stags, ending at 3-2 with scores of 23-25, 23-25, 25-17, 25-19, 15-10, last Tuesday, May 6 at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
Dave Lardizabal’s scoring was the catalyst for their comeback racking up 23 points along with 17 attacks. Lardizabal’s presence was also felt on the defensive end as he ended the game with five blocks.
Vince Himzon tallied the first point for the Knights with a hard spike, crashing the Stags’ defense. The back-and-forth scoring occured for most of the earlier parts of the set but Letran managed to secure a six point lead midway through,16-10. The Stags began to chip the lead away with strong attacks while Letran struggled with errors and miscommunications resulting in a 1-0 set lead for the former.
Late during the second frame, San Sebastian scored four straight points, 20-15, leaving Letran scrambling for answers. However, the Knights did not back down easily, with Himzon and Lardizabal’s scoring, the deficit was easily erased, tying the game at 21. The set was eventually won by the Stags 23-25, placing Letran on the verge of defeat.
With the stakes rising high, Letran improved their entire defensive scheme and turned aggressive in their quick plays. The squad earned an 8-2 margin from the start while clinging on to the lead. Derrick Bautista’s fierce strikes denied the Stags’ entry to close proximity.
Service errors pestered both parties in the fourth, but Letran was able to turn things around and secure a comfortable 10 point lead, 19-9, behind Ambrocio and Lardizabal’s efforts that helped them seal the fourth through an attack denial.
Long and intense rallies were once again the norm for the final set with botth teams not willing to back down just yet. As soon as the Knights were on a run, the Stags would spoil it right away. After leading for the majority of the set, the Knights completed the reverse sweep, 15-9, through a block from Bautista that nailed down the opposing Kyle Villamor’s solo push for victory.
Women’s Division
The Colegio de San Juan de Letran Lady Knights displayed mastery as they added another win to their record after taking down the San Sebastian Lady Stags in a sweep 3-0, with scores of 25-21, 25-22, 25-23, last Tuesday, May 6, held at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
Letran’s rookie outside hitter, Vanessa Sarie, paved the way for the Lady Knights as she tallied 17 points from 15 attacks and two aces.
An error from the side of the Lady Stags granted Letran their first point of the game, with the Lady Stags scoring on the very next play. Both teams stuck to the fast-paced playstyle as the Lady Stags held on to a scoring advantage early on.
Service errors terrorized the Lady Knights from the beginning, ending potential runs and became a momentum-stopper all throughout the first set. The Lady Knights were able to claim their first lead of the match at 17-16 courtesy of a hard spike from Sarie, leaving the Stags trailing.
The quick scoring from Gia Maquilang and a sturdy block from Royce Dela Cruz sealed the deal for the Lady Knights in set one.
Captain Lara Mae Silva’s strong efforts on the floor proved crucial to Letran defense, while Sarie’s onslaught on the offensive side continued late into the second. Letran’s rhythm paced up while miscommunications on the side of the Lady Stags racked up, as the Lady Knights took advantage, they were able to close out set two on a spike from Maquilang, 25-22.
The Intramuros-based squad relied on Nitura and Maquilang’s quick scoring and suffocating defense to maintain a game-high 9-point gap in the third, 16-7. The lead got diminished as the set came down the wire with the Lady Stags going on a 4-0 run but was instantly rejected by Maquilang and Sarie who sealed the match at 25-23.
Despite their key roles in the game, veterans Kath Santos and Tina Marasigan were unable to add another victory under their card, putting the Lady Stags at sixth place with a 7-7 record.
Letran will meet Arellano University for their second round outing on Friday, May 16, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.