After Friday’s NCAA Men’s Volleyball tournament elimination round action, the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals laid solo claim to the top of the league after crushing the Mapua Institute of Technology Cardinals, and after the College of Saint Benilde Blazers dropped their first match of the season to the University of Perpetual Help System – Dalta Altas at the FilOil Flying V Arena.
The Altas got the Seniors matches going with a resounding four-set win over last season’s finalists, CSB 21-25, 27-25, 25-20, 25-20.
Tossing the sets to opposite hitter Johnvic De Guzman, CSB took the first frame handily. But Perpetual made the necessary adjustments, loading up their defense on CSB’s best attacking options and forcing the Blazers to find other ways to score. Still, the Blazers nearly took the second set, getting first crack at set point 24-23, but the Altas wrested away all the momentum from there, getting clutch points from Bonjomar Castel and Manuel Doliente to seal their first set win. With CSB deflated, Perpetual took advantage of their foes’ futile floor defense to nail the impressive win.
Castel led all scorers with 20 points off 13 attacks, four blocks, and three aces. Doliente followed with 17 points off 13 kills two blocks and two aces.
De Guzman powered the Blazers with 19 points while open hitters Racky Etrone and Isaah Arda each pitched in 13 markers.
The defending champs, EAC Generals then finished the day off with a quick straight-sets drubbing of the MIT Cardinals 25-16, 25-22, 25-11.
Playing incredibly loose and effectively injecting their attack with much needed dynamism, EAC never let their foes sniff the lead. The Generals also outperformed their foes in all scoring skills – netting more kills (33-23), block kills (13-4), and service aces (5-1) than their Intramuros-based foes.
Reigning league MVP Howard Mojica towed the boys from San Marcelino with 17 points off 13 attacks, two blocks, and two aces. High-flying middle blocker Isarael Encina managed 13 points while opposite hitter Hariel Doguna fired in nine points.
Philp Bagalay led the Cardinals with seven points while Sam Damian and Samyr Navera each contributed five markers.
EAC sit atop the standings at 5-0 while UPHSD settle at second with a 4-0 slate. CSB are stuck at fourth with a 3-1 record while Mapua drop to 1-4.
