The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Lady Blazers succumbed to a heartbreaking loss as the Colegio de San Juan de Letrán (CSJL) halted their fifth straight championship campaign and third Finals rivalry, 2-3, today, April 10, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila City.
Kicking off the do-or-die match, the Lady Blazers were ahead of their opponents as Zam Nolasco shut down the Lady Knights with powerful spikes. Gia Maquilang showed up as Letrán’s saving grace in the first set; however, her efforts were not enough to even the slate, 18-9. Ultimately, Fiona Getigan’s steady defense and Camila Bartolome's ruthless attacks dragged the Intramuros squad across the Taraflex, earning them the opening advantage, 25-15.
In the second frame, the great wall of Intramuros was reinforced by Leonilyn Padilla’s blocking. Nolasco took matters into her own hands by cutting the gap with timely attacks and solid blocks. But the ladies donning blue and white kept things steady behind Vanessa Sarie and Nicen Colendra. The Taft squad kept pushing on offense, but Judiel Nitura’s efficient scoring paid off as Maquilang delivered the finishing blow to equalize the match, 17-25.
The third canto was a tightly contested battle with both sides refusing to back down. Letrán inched ahead early in the set, but Nolasco’s commanding presence at the net anchored the Taft squad’s effort for a comeback. Clydel Catarig and Cristy Ondangan followed suit by igniting a scoring surge to extend the set; however, Sarie’s three-point run ultimately closed out the set in Letrán’s favor, 24-26.
In the fourth set, the Lady Blazers came out strong, launching an early surge behind veterans Catarig, Nolasco, and Bartolome. Ondangan and Shekaina Lleses chipped in to keep the momentum on Taft’s side. The Lady Knights’ errors allowed the women in green and white to remain in control, snatching a 25-21 set to tie the match, 2-2.
In the deciding set, Letrán took an early lead as Colendra and Sarie put the Lady Blazers on the back foot, 3-7. Just when victory seemed within reach, Nolasco rose to the occasion to level the match, 10-10. Ultimately, fate sided with Letrán as they ended a 26-year championship drought at the expense of Benilde’s five-peat bid, 12-15.
A bump in the road
In an exclusive interview with The Benildean, ace scorer Catarig shared her thoughts on the team’s resilience up until the closing point. She stated, “Syempre sobrang sakit nga kasi grabe ‘yung paghihirap at trials na pinagdaanan namin. Masakit pero pinaglaban din naman namin, wala kaming pagkukulang doon.”
In the most crucial moments of the season, Catarig shared that the team motivated each other to push through and compete despite the setbacks along the sets.
In her final playing year, Most Valuable Player and one of the season’s Best Middle Blockers Nolasco shared that her favorite moments as a Lady Blazer, “Siguro ‘yung mga struggles and challenges namin kasi doon namin na-test ‘yung character ng bawat isa and marami kaming lessons na natutunan sa team para mag-improve pa.” Nolasco also added that she looks forward to further improving her game and for the next wave of players to rise to the challenge and return the team to golden glory next season.
The Lady Blazers lost their grip on the crown they held since Season 97 in 2022, but look to bounce back next year in Season 102.
Set Scores
Lady Blazers: 25-15, 17-25, 24-26, 25-17, 12-15
