Immaculada Concepcion College moved closer to completing a historic golden double after its women’s and men’s squads advanced to the finals of the PGFlex Linoleum-UCAL Season 9 Volleyball Championships on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the Paco Arena in Manila.
First to secure a finals berth were the Lady Blue Hawks, who gutted out a 20-25, 25-11, 25-17, 21-25, 15-8 victory over a stubborn Centro Escolar University side in a one-game knockout semifinal showdown, setting the tone for ICC’s double celebration.
Equally impressive were the Blue Hawks, who dethroned University of Batangas, 21-25, 26-24, 25-17, 25-20. Aaron Devesora led the charge for ICC with 22 points on 19 attacks, two blocks, and an ace.
The ICC women’s team not only reached the finals for the third straight season but also extended its remarkable winning streak to 19 games since capturing its breakthrough championship three years ago. Andrea Caparal powered the Lady Blue Hawks with a 22-point performance.
(C) UCAL
Standing in the way of ICC’s ambitious three-peat bid is University of Batangas, which romped to a convincing 25-22, 25-19, 25-23 victory over Lyceum of the Philippines University in a showdown between two of the premier schools from Batangas. The tournament is backed by Smart, PusoP.com, Hapee Toothpaste, Mighty Bond, Spalding, Maruyama, Gerry’s Grill, Crane, Vital Purified Water, and Akari.
In setting up a championship rematch, the Lady Brahmans drew an inspired performance from Stephanie Almaria, who delivered 11 points on seven attacks, three aces, and a block.
The Blue Hawks, meanwhile, will face top-seeded LPU-B in the finals after the latter cruised to a 25-21, 25-22, 25-15 victory over the Philippine Christian University-Dasmarinas Dolphins.
The finals appearance marks the first time the Pirates will contend for the volleyball championship, a milestone they largely owe to Reed Miciano’s sustained brilliance.
Although Miciano was held to just 15 points this time, his timely hits inspired his teammates to step up and deliver as well.
Both finals will be held on Friday, Nov. 13, also at the Paco Arena, with the ICC-UBB women’s showdown scheduled for 12 noon and the ICC-LPU men’s clash set for 2 p.m.
