Latest news with #LadyBlazers
GMA Network
11-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Benilde sweeps top honors as Mycah Go, Rocky Motol named MVPs
NCAA De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde emerged as the big winners of individual awards after Mycah Go of the Lady Blazers and Rocky Motol of the Blazers were proclaimed MVPs in their respective divisions. Go, who had a total 174 points at the end of the elimination round to finish as the 26th top scorer, captured her second MVP plum after also winning the top award in Season 97. The veteran outside spiker, who missed Season 98 due to multiple injuries before making a strong comeback last year, was also the second best server after averaging 0.33 aces per set in the regular season while also emerging as the eighth best spiker with 29.86 success rate. With Go leading the Lady Blazers, Benilde has moved on cusp of another title and is now a victory away from sealing their four-peat run as they take on Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Game 2 of the NCAA Season 100 finals later today. Go will also take home the Best Outside Spiker award alongside Letran's young sensation Vanessa Sarie, who was also named both the Rookie of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Her teammate, Zam Nolasco, bagged the Best Middle Blocker award together with KJ Dionisio of San Sebastian College-Recoletos. Another pair of Letran players in Judiel Nitura and Lara Mae Silva brought home the Best Opposite Spiker and Best Libero plums, respectively. Catherine Domasig of Arellano University was the Best Setter. In the men's division, Motol became the Rookie MVP after leading top-seeded Benilde back to the Final Four, where they eventually fell twice to Letran to bow out of contention. Motol, who collected 330 points through the elimination round, and Barbie San Andres of Mapua University are named the Best Outside Spikers while Vince Himzon and John Austero were awarded the Best Middle Blockers, making Himzon now a three-time best middle in the league. Kobe Tabuga of University of Perpetual Help System was named the Best Opposite Spiker while Wayne Araño was given the Best Setter award. AJ Rus of San Beda University emerged as the Best Libero while Dave Lardizabal of Letran came out as the Freshman of the Year. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
10-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Benilde, Arellano go for clincher vs. Letran squads in Game 2 of NCAA volleyball finals
NCAA By BEA MICALLER,GMA Integrated News De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and Arellano University will shoot for glory and history when they take on separate squads of Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Game 2 of NCAA Season 100 volleyball finals on Wednesday at the Filoil Centre. The reigning champions Lady Blazers are out to close out the Lady Knights in their 2:30 p.m. clash to complete a rare four-peat run in the women's division while the Chiefs are eyeing to finish off the Knights in their 11 a.m. encounter to clinch their first-ever men's volleyball title. Benilde and Arellano flaunted their might in Game 1, but both teams are under no illusion that it will be easy from here on out. The Lady Blazers bucked a slow start after dropping the opening frame against hungry Lady Knights, but recovered in the next three sets to draw first blood with a 26-28, 26-24, 25-16, 25-19 win. Third-year middle blocker Zam Nolasco fronted the offense and defense for the Taft crew, punishing the second-seeded Letran with eight blocks to finish with a game-high 21 points and allow Benilde to inch closer to a dream four-peat. Good thing for Benilde is that Nolasco isn't lacking support with the likes of graduating Mycah Go, middle blocker Cristy Ondangan, and rising rookie Shahanna Lleses also running the show for the Lady Blazers. The 6-foot Nolasco, though, knows closing out the series will be more difficult, especially against the same team that dealt them their first loss in five years when Letran pulled off a 25-22, 25-23, 26-24 sweep win last March 8. "Siguro all out na lang. Lagi namang sinasabi sa amin ni coach na ngayong finals, i-all out namin kasi tsaka pa ba kami iiyak 'pag wala na 'yung goal na namin and ayun lang 'yung tumatatak sa amin," Nolasco told GMA News Online. "Mahirap 'yung Game 2 pero hindi naman imposible. All out na lang talaga kami, kumbaga parang wala nang bukas." The same goes with Arellano, who is eyeing to hoist the NCAA men's volleyball crown for the first time in history. The Chiefs are hoping to build on their Game 1 escape, where the wards of head coach Bryan Vitug carved a 27-25, 25-14, 22-25, 25-22 hard-fought win behind their veteran core made up of setter Adi Villados, Carl Berdal, Anfernee Curamen, Jiwen Sinuto, and AC Guinto. Villados unleashed another strategic ball distribution, tallying 18 excellent sets that saw five Arellano players reach double-digit marks. Berdal paced them with 19 points while Curamen and Sinuto both grabbed 13 markers. Guinto and sophomore middle blocker Jake Pangilinan listed 11 points each. The Chiefs, however, are expecting a huge fightback from the Knights come Wednesday's affair. "Well, kailangan lang namin maging composed doon sa game para matapos na. Bawal mag-relax 'pag Letran ang kalaban mo kasi tinalo nga nila 'yung number one team (Benilde) so hindi dapat magpabaya," Vitug said. "I remind them lang na one point at a time lang lagi kasi 'pag nag-look forward kami baka hindi makagalaw nang maayos." —JKC, GMA Integrated News
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GMA Network
01-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Benilde bucks slow start vs Mapua, advances to fourth straight finals stint
NCAA De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde bucked a slow start against Mapua University, 20-25, 25-15, 25-17, 25-18, on Sunday to advance to the NCAA Season 100 women's volleyball finals for the fourth straight season. The four-peat seeking Lady Blazers will now wait for the winner of the Final Four match between no. 2 seed Colegio de San Juan de Letran and Arellano University which will face off on Tuesday. In the fourth set, Benilde already led 13-7 before Mapua inched closer, 16-13. Zam Nolasco then scored one for the Lady Blazers before a block trimmed Mapua's deficit, 17-14. Gregg Cabadin's service error, however, gave an easy point for Benilde before an attack error handed the Taft-based crew a five-point lead. Mapua scored one again before Nolasco ignited a run for the Lady Blazers as they eventually led 23-17. Freighanne Garcia then put one more for Mapua before Cristy Ondangan and Nolasco sealed the victory for the Lady Blazers. "Nung first set naging mabagal kami, ang daming bumabagsak na bola. Nagalit si coach so nag-respond ang mga bata nang mabilis and nagkapalitan ng tao. Pagdating ng second set, nakuha na namin," Benilde head coach Onyok Getigan said. Chenae Basarte distributed the ball well as she had 16 out of 19 excellent sets and five scorers scored in double digits. Zam Nolasco had 19 points built on 18 attacks, while Aya Densing had 13 points. Shahanna Lleses had 11 points, while Mycah Go had 10 points. Freighanne Garcia had 14 points, while Raissa Ricablanca added 13 points as the Lady Cardinals were relegated to the battle for bronze. The Finals will commence on June 8. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
31-05-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Benilde teams eye outright finals tickets as NCAA volleyball Final Four opens
NCAA The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde men's and women's teams aim for their respective finals spots when the NCAA Season 100 volleyball Final Four opens on Sunday at the Filoil Centre in San Juan. The four-peat seeking Lady Blazers will take on Mapua University at 2:30 p.m., while the top-seeded Blazers will go against Colegio de San Juan de Letran at 12:00 p.m. Both the men's and women's teams are armed with a twice-to-beat advantage. The Lady Blazers are coming off a second round sweep in the tournament and finished on top of the standings with a 16-2 card. For Benilde women's team head coach Onyok Getigan, the lengthened tourney allowed the team to adjust after absorbing two losses in the first round. "Malaking bagay 'yung haba ng liga so naka-adjust kami, nakikita 'yung lapses, then kung sino ang dapat mag-step up, nag-step up talaga," Getigan said last May 25. Benilde still has veteran Mycah Go in its arsenal, along with the league's top blocker in Zam Nolasco and top setter Chenae Basarte. The Taft-based squad also leads in terms of spiking, serving, and setting. The Lady Cardinals, meanwhile, are returning to the Final Four after missing it last season. Mapua finished the elimination round with back-to-back losses to get an 11-7 record, enough for a ticket to the semis. Mapua head coach Clarence Esteban has the likes of top scorers Raissa Ricablanca, Freighanne Garcia, and Alyanna Ong as they hope to push Benilde to the limit, just like what they did in the first round where they won against the Taft-based squad. In the men's division, the Blazers are hoping to return to the finals -- a feat they last achieved in 2019. The Benilde men's team finished on top of the standings with a 14-4 card, but fell short against Lyceum of the Philippines University in their final prelims match last Friday. Head coach Arnold Laniog said his players' mindset will be really important, especially as their conditioning has been tested due to the long tourney. "'Yung haba ng tournament na first time na nangyari, two rounds, nagkakaroon ng upset sa second round. Dulo na to eh, 'yung conditioning ang laki ng bearing. At the same time, 'yung mind setting, focused ka talaga, especially sa preparation," Laniog said. "It's more on desire ng team, 'yung desire natin kailangan manaig talaga. Sa training pa lang, maramdaman na natin na may gusto tayong marating sa game." Benilde will have the likes of Rocky Roy Motol, Jacob Agassi Herrera, and James Harold Marasigan to rely on. Letran, on the other hand, has won its last three games to officially secure a Final Four spot and finished the elimination round with a 12-6 card. The Knights, who also defeated Benilde in the first round, will have league top spiker Vince Himzon, Bembem Bautista, and John Wayne Araño in their second straight Final Four appearance. The other brackets in the Final Four, Letran vs Arellano in the women's side, and Mapua vs Arellano in the men's division, will face off on Tuesday. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
30-05-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Benilde makes quick work of LPU to complete second round sweep
NCAA De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde made quick work of Lyceum of the Philippines University, 25-20, 25-18, 25-12, to complete a second round sweep of the NCAA Season 100 women's volleyball tournament on Friday at the Filoil Centre in San Juan. The four-peat-seeking Lady Blazers finished the elimination round on top of the standings with a 16-2 record, while LPU capped its season with an 8-10 record. In the match that lasted for less than an hour and a half, Zam Nolasco led the Lady Blazers with 12 points from nine attacks and three blocks, while Clydel Catarig and Aya Densing had nine and eight points, respectively. Johna Dolorito, meanwhile, led the Lady Pirates with 10 points. Benilde, which has earned a twice-to-beat advantage, will face Mapua University in the Final Four battle on Sunday. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
