Latest news with #OnyokGetigan
GMA Network
07-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Benilde, Letran face off anew for NCAA Season 100 women's volleyball crown
NCAA De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and Colegio de San Juan de Letran are back in the NCAA women's volleyball finals stage as both teams eye the centennial season title. The Lady Blazers hope to take home the crown for the fourth straight season despite experiencing a relatively challenging season. In the past three seasons that Benilde won the title, the Taft-based squad never lost a single game en route to the title. This season, however, the Lady Blazers' 43-game winning streak was cut by none other than Letran in the first round. Benilde also fell to Mapua University at the end of the first round. However, the Lady Blazers seemed to have returned to their championship form just in time as they swept the second round and dispatched Mapua University in the Final Four. For head coach Onyok Getigan, this will be a different season for them, especially with the likes of Mich Gamit, Gayle Pascual, and Cloanne Mondoñedo not playing for Benilde anymore. However, veteran Mycah Go and players like Zam Nolasco, Wielyn Estoque, and Chenae Basarte are ready to dance in the finals again. "Kung titingnan mo, wala na mga senior namin last time, malaking factor 'yun. Ang maganda ngayon, madaling mag-step up yung mga natira, pati rookies," Getigan said. The Lady Knights, meanwhile, eye to rewrite history. In Season 99, Letran was swept by Benilde in the finals. Now, they have a chance to exact revenge against their tormentors. Letran head coach Oliver Almadro, however, said they have to be "better than our best" in facing a formidable team like Benilde. "As I'm always saying, Benilde is a strong team. They're well-coached, they have a deep bench, we really have to find a way with what we have and somehow [have] a flawless game," Almadro said. "'Yung skills and stats mas malalaki sila eh. Panghahawakan namin 'yung last game and last year to fuel us to give the best performance na kailangan namin kasi results will take care of itself." Aside from veteran libero Lara Silva and last year's top freshman Gia Maquilang, the Intramuros-based crew now has Vanessa Sarie who recently broke the NCAA scoring record with her 37-point output against Arellano University in the second round. Benilde and Letran will commence their best-of-three finals series on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Filoil Centre in San Juan. —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
