By: Rylie San Juan
Photo by Julia Iris Eguillano | The LANCE
Women’s Volleyball
The Letran Lady Knights remained unstoppable, going up 11-0 in the tournament after sweeping the LPU Lady Pirates yesterday at the NCAA Season 101 Women’s Volleyball Tournament held at the EAC Gymnasium in Manila.
Judiel Nitura shone for 14 points, with nine attacks and a block, carrying the load for the Lady Knights.
Nitura’s offensive aggression was felt early on as she spearheaded the scoring for Letran in the opening minutes. The set remained close until the halfway point, where the Lady Knights pushed the pace and began to inch away from the Lady Pirates. While Lyceum managed to shorten the gap late in set one, the Lady Knights were able to secure the frame 25-19.
Long rallies became a staple in set two; the tandem of Nitura and Vanessa Sarie kept the offense rolling for the Lady Knights, while Lara Silva’s impressive digs became their anchor defensively. Unforced errors plagued the Lady Pirates in the second frame, while points continued to rack up for Letran. Another error from Lyceum closed out the set, as the Lady Knights secured the frame on a score of 25-19.
The intensity was cranked up in the third and final set, and multiple deadlocks were seen as the Lady Pirates refused to back down. A 4-0 run courtesy of Nitura’s service ace and Sarie’s attacks placed the Lady Knights up by five going into the late stages of the match. Although the Lady Pirates were successful in trimming down the lead, it was Nitura who shut down the comeback attempt of Lyceum, taking the final set at 25-23.
Men’s Volleyball
The Letran Knights snapped their two-game losing skid after beating the LPU Pirates in three straight sets, improving their standing to 6-5 in Group B. Yesterday at the NCAA Season 101 Men’s Volleyball Tournament.
Dave Lardizabal’s 16 points with 15 attacks led the Knights to victory, while Vince Himzon and Maximuz Lopez both tallied 14 points each for Letran.
The scoring came in bunches for Lardizabal and Bembem Bautista in the opening minutes. The rallies were quick, while the spikes were powerful throughout. The Knights dominated late in the set and concluded the frame at 25-20.
Lopez and Himzon made their presence felt in the following round, the duo showcased their all-around game as they contributed on all ends of the floor. LPU kept the match interesting as they always stayed within a single point of the Knights for the majority of the set. Ultimately, it was Himzon who gave Letran the boost they needed to break away from Lyceum and take the set 25-22.
Lyceum opened the third set with back-to-back points, but Letran was quick to fire right back. More of the same was seen as both teams continued to exchange blows, neither one managing to secure a significant advantage. With Letran in the driver’s seat, it was Lyceum’s Jun Edang who sparked their offense in hopes of keeping the match alive, but the barrage of spikes from Lardizabal and Lopez proved to be too much as Letran secured the sweep at 25-22.
Jun Edang recorded 11 points for the Pirates, while Charles Segui contributed 10 points along with five digs.
The stage is set for another showdown, as the Letran Knights and Lady Knights head into battle against the Arellano Chiefs and Lady Chiefs this Friday, March 6, at the San Andres Sports Complex, Manila.