Since their first championship in 2017, it took nine years for the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Blazing Spikers to reclaim championship glory, sweeping the Mapúa University (MU) Cardinals, 3-0, today, April 10, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila City.
The opening frame kicked off the sequence with evenly matched exchanges as both teams aimed to seize momentum and take charge. Mapúa established a narrow advantage after the first two technical timeouts with Barbie San Andres and Ar-jay Ramos soaring above the net. The Taft squad, however, turned the tide as the hot hands of Finals MVP Reymark Betco and Rocky Motol delivered crucial block points and attacks to ultimately seal the first set, 25-23.
The second canto opened with unforced errors from both sides before erupting into a tight contest. PJ Reyes struck first on the Taraflex with a powerful attack, but Mike Balbacal quickly answered with a sharp cross-court hit. The back-and-forth battle continued as Ramos anchored the offense while Betco performed on both ends, turning the set into a point-for-point showdown. Momentum swung to the men in green and white as they unleashed an 8-0 run, powered by Jeremi Cuenca’s consecutive aces and capped by Adriane Austero’s quick attack, 25-18.
In the final set of the championship game, both squads engaged in a tight duel early, with Adrian Musni and Alvin Macadangdang providing the spark for the Muralla squad. Midway, the Taft-based squad found its rhythm behind the efforts of Balbacal, Austero, and Dexter Graniada, who delivered key blocks and timely conversions to build a slim cushion. The men in red and gold remained within striking distance through San Andres, Ramos, and Reyes.
Despite the late push, the Blazing Spikers pulled away as Betco took over with crucial hits and a block, while Motol and Graniada added the finishing touches, culminating in a block on San Andres that sealed a 25-21 win and completed a dominant 3-0 championship sweep.
Chris Villanueva clinched the Player of the Game honors with 30 excellent sets and one point to his name, fuelling the Blazing Spikers to winning glory.
Championship mentality
In an exclusive interview with The Benildean, Motol shared how the team prepared to counter Mapúa’s performance. He emphasized that their focus began with their mindset from the moment they woke up. The team also practiced meditation the night before the game and had their phones confiscated to eliminate distractions.
When asked about his leadership, Austero shared he initially did not expect to lead the team all the way to the championship. However, he emphasized his “Last ko na ‘to” mindset, which pushed him to give everything he had and constantly reminded his teammates of their shared goals.
Betco also shared that their team made the necessary adjustments after Game 2 of the Finals series; ensuring they were more prepared and came into the succeeding games fully locked in and all out. When asked how they plan to carry this championship mindset into the next season, knowing that other teams will be hungrier to take the crown, he said, “Siguro hindi namin i-take advantage ‘tong pagiging champion namin ngayon, kailangan pa rin naman pagtrabahuhan.”
The Benilde Blazing Spikers successfully bagged the crown to end their nine-year drought with their last victory in Season 92.
Set Scores
Blazing Spikers: 25-23, 25-18, 25-21
