The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Lady Blazers took the early lead in the semifinals, surviving a toe-curling five-set duel against the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (UPHSD) Lady Altas, 3-2, on March 22 at the Strike Gymnasium in Bacoor City, Cavite.
In the opening frame, the women in green and white came out firing, setting the tone early. Clydel Catarig racked up early points, while Taft’s Fiona Inocentes and Zam Nolasco fended off Las Piñas’ early surge to give Benilde the upper hand. Cyrille Almeniana and Camille Bustamante showed flashes of brilliance for the Lady Altas, but the Lady Blazers capitalized on unforced errors to seize control. Inocentes shone brightly, locking down the floor as the Lady Blazers cruised to a 25-17 set win.
The second canto turned into a dogfight, Catarig and Nolasco kept DLS-CSB within striking distance, but Charisse Enrico and Shaila Omipon sparked a 7-0 run for the Lady Altas. Despite Nolasco’s efforts, the Lady Blazers struggled defensively, allowing Perpetual to find their rhythm behind Jazhryll Lagmay and Joanna Lozano. The women in green and white fell behind as Almeniana produced back-to-back points, to even the match, 18-25.
In the third frame, Omipon and Lagmay propelled Perpetual into a 6-3 lead, highlighted by a strong block on Nolasco that gave the Lady Altas early control. Late in the set, Lagmay and Jemalyn Menor delivered back-to-back points, but Nolasco and Camila Bartolome remained resilient, tying the match multiple times. In a tense extension, the Lady Altas outlasted the Lady Blazers, escaping with a 25-27 decision.
Facing elimination, Taft flipped the switch in the fourth set. Las Piñas got off to a strong start, fueled by Almeniana, as Perpetual relied on smart play and their blockers, Lagmay and Enrico, to stabilize defense and reception. Midway through the set, Kai Lleses caught fire, turning the momentum with quick attacks and powerful spikes. Even with Menor’s persistent efforts to close out the set, Nolasco kept the Lady Blazers in the fight, ultimately extending the match to a thrilling fifth set, 25-19.
In the deciding canto, the Lady Altas quickly grabbed an early lead as the Taft squad struggled with early miscues. Feeding off Perpetual’s errors, Lleses and Catarig stepped up in crunch time to keep the Blazers ahead. Lleses sealed the win for the Lady Blazers with a service ace, 15-8.
Lleses blazed with an all-around performance, scoring 16 points on 14 attacks and two aces, while also contributing 15 digs and 17 receptions, earning Player of the Game honors, while Nolasco gave a stellar performance with 27 points.
The Lady Blazers look to finish the job against the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (UPHSD) Lady Altas on March 25 at San Andres Sports Complex with a live telecast on Heart of Asia and the NCAA Philippines Facebook and YouTube pages.
Set Scores
Lady Blazers: 25-17, 18-25, 25-27, 25-19, 15-8
