Latest news with #Taft-based
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
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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
01-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Jacob Cortez drops 31 as La Salle downs UP in preseason
Filoil Preseason Cup. May 31, 2025. Jacob Cortez of the DLSU Green Archers against the UP Fighting Maroons. (Photo: Filoil Preseason Cup) Jacob Cortez dropped 31 points to lead De La Salle University past University of the Philippines, 106-99, on Saturday at the Filoil Centre in San Juan. The former San Beda star had 12-of-16 shooting from the field to go with five assists and four rebounds as the Green Archers somehow exacted revenge against their tormentors in last season's UAAP finals. "I was looking forward to facing UP. We all know how good they are, so we just went out there and gave our best," said Cortez. Kean Baclaan had 20 points, four rebounds, and two assists, whie Luis Pablo had 11 markers and six boards against his former team as the Taft-based squad improved to 2-0. Francis Nnoruka, meanwhile, led the Fighting Maroons with 21 points, seven rebounds, and three steals, as it suffered its first setback after back-to-back wins. In the other games, San Beda University defeated San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 67-54, while Emilio Aguinaldo College beat Lyceum of the Philippines University, 82-74. National University, meanwhile, won against University of the East, 72-67. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
31-05-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
Zam Nolasco, Vince Himzon lead Benilde, Letran to winning streaks ahead of NCAA volleyball Final Four
NCAA After more than three months of action, the NCAA Season 100 volleyball tournament is coming to a close, but not before witnessing excellent performances ahead of the playoffs. The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Lady Blazers and the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights went perfect in the last two weeks of the elimination round, with Zam Nolasco and Vince Himzon leading their respective squads in crucial wins heading into the Final Four. With their consistent performances which came just at the right time, Nolasco and Himzon were named as the final Collegiate Press Corps' NCAA Players of the Week, presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, for the period of May 20 to 30. Nolasco has been a steady rise in Benilde's run as the Taft-based squad completed a second round sweep with the Lady Blazers going 4-0 in the homestretch of the tourney. The third-year middle blocker posted a game-high 17 points built on 11 attacks and 6 blocks in their crucial 25-18, 25-19, 17-25, 25-18 victory against Colegio de San Juan de Letran last May 21, then she had six points in their 25-12, 25-19, 26-24 win against Mapua University last May 23 to exact revenge against their first round tormentors. "Tinalo kami last time nung first round [ng Mapua], malaking kumpiyansa 'yun kumbaga nakabawi kami rito. 'Yung nakaraan din 'yung Letran tinalo kami noon, so dala-dala ng mga bata 'yung kumpiyansa," Benilde head coach Onyok Getigan. The streak continued for Benilde and Nolasco as she scored 10 points in Benilde's 25-15, 25-23, 25-18 win against University of Perpetual Help System DALTA before sealing her impressive run in the eliminations with another game-high 12 points on 9 attacks and 3 blocks against Lyceum of the Philippines University where they won 25-20, 25-18, 25-12. The four-peat seeking Benilde wrapped up the eliminations with 16-2 and will enter the Final Four as the top-seeded squad. Nolasco defeated teammate Aya Densing, San Beda's Angel Habacon, and Letran's Gia Maquilang for the weekly award backed by Discovery Suites and World Balance. Himzon, meanwhile, has been one of Letran's pillars as the Knights went 3-0 in the final stretch of the elimination round. The third-year middle blocker had a team-high 21 points built on 18 attacks, two blocks, and an ace, as Letran defeated fellow contender Benilde, 23-25, 25-21, 25-14, 25-23, last May 21. This was followed by a 13-point outing against Jose Rizal University where Letran won, 25-20, 25-18, 25-12, before the Knights officially clinched the Final Four spot with its victory over Mapua, 25-16, 25-21, 25-20, behind Himzon's 15 points. Himzon edged Arellano's AC Guinto, Perpetual's Kobe Tabuga, and LPU's Jun Frank Edang for the weekly recognition being deliberated upon by writers covering the collegiate beat. The Knights finished the elimination round with a 12-6 card as they will be the fourth-ranked team come semifinals. —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
