The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Blazers and Lady Blazers defeated the Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Generals and Lady Generals, 3-2 and 3-0, respectively, today, March 27, at the EAC Gym in Manila City.
Despite the Benilde Blazers maintaining a safe lead for the majority of the first two sets, the pesky EAC Generals slowly but surely scored their way to cut the deficit to only two points. However, the Taft squad remained composed in the endgame to secure a 2-0 advantage, 25-23 and 25-21 respectively.
EAC’s determination to win was immediately felt as they became more aggressive in the third and fourth sets. Anchored by Joshua Olivo and Frelwin Taculog, the tide of the game quickly changed in the Generals’ favor as they forced a fifth set, 23-25 and 19-25 respectively.
The do-or-die set witnessed a back-and-forth affair between the two teams. With momentum on their side, the men in red and white secured a three-point lead, 7-10. However, super-rookie Rocky Motol came to the rescue, delivering three consecutive points for the Blazers to tie the match, 13-13.
The Generals’ out-of-bounds error seemed to have cost them their shot at victory as Arnel Aguilar played hero, scoring back-to-back points to keep Benilde’s winning streak alive, 16-14.
Meanwhile, the Lady Blazers picked up where they left off as they started the match with a 6-1 run. In response, the Lady Generals quickly staged their own 5-1 run to cut the lead to only six points. However, the women donning green and white quickly bounced back to secure the first set, 25-14.
For the succeeding sets, the Taft squad kept their composure and dictated the pace of the game with Wielyn Estoque at the helm. With only three veterans and nine rookies, the young EAC squad struggled to keep up with the reigning champions as Benilde commanded the second and third sets, 25-12 and 25-13 respectively.
Motol and Estoque shined as the top performers of the day, contributing 19 and 13 pts respectively.
The Benilde Blazers and Lady Blazers will face the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (UPHSD) Altas and Lady Altas on March 29 at the EAC Gym with a live telecast on the NCAA Philippines Facebook and YouTube pages.
Set Scores:
Benilde Blazers: 25-22, 25-21, 23-25, 19-25, 16-14
Lady Blazers: 25-14, 25-12, 25-13
