COLLEGE OF SAINT BENILDE mastered Far Eastern University as it nailed its first-ever V-League Women’s Collegiate Challenge title with an imposing 25-18, 25-19, 25-18 victory on Friday to complete a sweep of their best-of-three series at the Paco Arena in Manila.
“Every game here serves as part of an experience which we hope to add to our arsenal and bring into our next games in the NCAA. It just turned out that it resulted in a championship,” CSB assistant coach JP Martirez said, whose wards finished second runner-up the last time out.
With senior Gayle Pascual on the firing end, the Lady Tamaraws pulled away from a tight 18-15 game in the third set as they won seven of the last 10 points points, highlighted by Pascual’s back-to-back kills.
Pascual finished with seven points on six attacks and one block and later took the Finals Most Valuable Player award.
Best Middle Blocker Zam Nolasco paced the Lady Blazers with 12 markers, five of them coming from blocks, while setter Clo Mondoñedo put up a 15-excellent set performance for CSB, which took the series’ opener, 25-18, 25-18, 25-16.
Mitzi Panangin battled with Nolasco at the net and finished with 11 points for the Lady Tamaraws, who also drew nine markers from Chenie Tagaod.
Earlier, Josh Ybanez of University of Sto. Tomas and Perpetual Help’s Mary Rhose Dapol reaped the fruits of their conference-long exploits as they shared MVP trophies during yesterday’s awards rites.
Ybanez steered the Golden Spikers to the finals as the team secured a 6-1 (win-loss) standing in the elimination round, while Dapol, toughened up by her stint in the Premier Volleyball League Invitational Conference, helped anchor the Lady Altas’ fourth-place finish in the tournament organized by Sports Vision.
The two also led the V-League Supreme Team, which includes Noel Kampton (La Salle) and Rey De Vega (UST), who won the Best Outside Spikers awards in the men’s tournament, and JM Ronquillo (La Salle) nabbed the Best Opposite Spiker award.
Diogenes Poquita and Menard Guerrero of the Green Spikers also bagged individual awards with the former taking the Best Setter award and Guerrero claiming the Best Libero trophy. Lirick Mendoza (FEU) and Rainier Flor (UST) shared the Best Middle Blocker honors.
In the Women’s Supreme Team, Jade Gentapa (CSB) and Kiesha Bedonia (FEU) emerged as the Best Outside Spikers, while Gayle Pascual (CSB) received the Best Opposite Spiker award.
Christine Ubaldo (FEU) was named the Best Setter of the tournament, while Marian Andal (UPHSD) won the Best Libero award.
Zamantha Nolasco (CSB) and Riza Nogales (UE) rounded out the awardees for the women’s tournament, grabbing the Best Middle Blocker awards.
