Following the school’s first indoor championship, the College of Saint Benilde Lady Blazers are reportedly reloading with transferees from UAAP schools.
A source closely monitoring the situation told Tiebreaker Times that the NCAA champs are adding former National University Lady Bulldogs Rica Diolan, Marites Pablo, and Klarice Abriam and could also bring in UST Tigresses’ setter Sarah Verutiao.
The Lady Blazers lost key pieces in setter Djanel Cheng and open hitter Janine Navarro who both exhausted their playing eligibility.
“Nauna mag-tryout si Abriam at Pablo. Si Diolan daw dapat pupunta ng San Beda pero sinundan na lang yung dalawang teammate niya sa CSB,” the source said.
Adding Diolan immediately fills in one of those holes. The former UAAP Juniors Best Setter only played one season for NU’s senior team where she often played in the starting lineup.
Former Lady Bulldog Rica Diolan
On the other hand, both Abriam and Pablo played two seasons for NU. The pair could prove useful as wing spikers for a team looking for a steady scoring option outside of its two dominant middle hitters Finals MVP Jeanette Panaga and the vastly-improved Ranya Musa.
The three have already been practicing with the team although they have not yet enrolled as the next term in CSB starts on August.
“Yung dalawa (Abriam and Pablo) nag-dodorm na sila sa CSB kasi nga maga taga-probinsya. Si Diolan naka-stay sa mga tita niya ngayon,” the source clarified. “Maayos naman yung paglipat nila kasi talagang pinakawalan na sila ng NU.”
The source adds that the team could also add Verutiao. The former Tigress did not make UST’s lineup for UAAP Season 78.
Verutiao will be eligible to play for CSB’s NCAA Season 92 campaign while the three Lady Bulldogs will serve a one-year residency before being eligible.
