By: Aianna Xyril Monsod
Photo courtesy of Roni Calupitan | The LANCE.
Colegio de San Juan de Letran completed a double sweep over Emilio Aguinaldo College in both the NCAA Season 101 Women’s and Men’s Volleyball Tournaments on January 25 at the San Andres Sports Complex.
The Letran Lady Knights asserted their dominance with a straight-sets win over the EAC Lady Generals, 25–9, 25–10, 28–26.
Judiel Nitura topped the scoring sheet with 18 points, followed by Vanessa Sarie with 13 and Yen Martin with 11.
Letran set the tone early in the opening set, breaking away with a blistering 7–0 run as EAC’s shaky floor defense faltered. Playmaker Nat Estreller masterfully orchestrated the offense by spreading the ball to Jade Isar, Leonilyn Padilla, Martin, Nitura and Sarie en route to a 25–9 set win.
The second set followed the same script, as Letran rode Nitura’s explosive attacks and a steady net defense. The Lady Knights remained in total control, while the struggling Lady Generals relied heavily on the former’s own unforced errors to get on the board. With momentum firmly on their side, Letran surged to a dominant 25–10.
EAC came alive in the third set as they finally found momentum and stayed neck-and-neck, putting Letran under pressure. Lady Generals Ashley Toriado and Joy Perez sparked the rally, while Julienne Razonable’s consecutive attacks gave them their first lead of the match at 15–14. After Nitura pushed the Lady Knights to match point at 24–23, EAC fought back to earn their own set point. They attempted to extend the game once more, but Nitura’s back-to-back hits delivered the final blow, giving Letran their second win of the tournament.
Razonable led the Lady Generals with seven points, while Perez and Toriado added six apiece.
The Letran Knights broke into the win column, outlasting the EAC Generals in a hard-fought three-set battle, 25–22, 25–21, 25–23.
Christer Ambrocio anchored the Knights’ offensive charge with 13 points, while Bembem Bautista and Dave Lardizabal provided solid support with 11 and nine markers, respectively.
The Generals held an early advantage in the first set, but the Knights stayed within striking distance. Jan Abor’s attacks kept EAC competitive, yet their errors also allowed Letran to stay in the game. The Knights eventually capitalized on a long rally to clinch the set, 25–22.
The second set was a back-and-forth battle as Letran held a narrow lead throughout. Late in the frame, costly out-of-bounds hits hurt EAC, giving the Knights the edge. Ambrocio’s consecutive hits closed the set, putting Letran up 2–0.
Intensity escalated in the deciding set as both teams traded powerful attacks from Abor and Ralph Tamayo, while Lardizabal and Vince Himzon kept Letran rolling. The score stayed close, with neither side able to pull away. Serving errors from both teams only added to the tension, keeping the set tightly contested. In the end, Ambrocio once again delivered the decisive blow to seal the match, 25–23.
Abor paced EAC with a valiant 26 points in a losing effort, with Tamayo contributing seven.
Both the women’s and men’s team will next face Lyceum of the Philippines University on January 30, with the games set to be held at the same venue.