Reigning NCAA Men’s Volleyball champions College of Saint Benilde Blazers boosted their semifinals bid with a clean sweep of the Mapua University Cardinals, 25-23, 25-23, 25-21, Thursday afternoon at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
Three spikers ended at double digits with outside hitter Isaah Arda leading with 12 points off 10 attacks and two blocks. Jethro Orian and Arnold Bautista both had 10 markers.
Having seen how the Cards fought for-to-toe with the Perpetual Altas, the Taft-based squad knew what to do in this game. CSB team captain Arda said, “Yung nilaro nila against Perpetual is sobrang ganda. Ang lakas nilang kumapit. Ang in-ano namin is plinano namin ‘yung lalaruin namin.”
Despite the game plan, Mapua picked up from where they left off in their previous outing in the first set. Nonetheless, the Blazers pulled from their bag of tricks and snagged opening set, scoring seven unanswered points to seal it.
From there, there was no turning back for the defending kings all the way to the end of the hour-long contest.
“Yung communication,” Arda commented on what worked for them in the win. “Sobrang gumanda ‘yung communication namin, unlike dun sa game against Arellano.”
Going into the game against Perpetual (7-0) on Tuesday, the graduating skipper admitted that, “Defending ‘eh, so nasa ‘min yung pressure.”
However, he ended, “Panghahawakan namin ‘yun.”
Alfred Pagulong was the lone bright spot for the Cards at 12 points. Skipper Anjo Pertierra and fellow middle hitter Samyr Navera ended their NCAA stints with five and seven points, respectively.
The Scores:
CSB 3 – Arda 12, Orian 10, Bautista 10, Basilan 9, Bacani 8, Magsino 1, Rojas 1, Garcia 1, San Miguel 1, Martinez 1, Saldavia 0, Dy L.
MU 0 – Pagulong 12, Egan 9, Navera 7, Pertierra 5, Damian 4, Hizon 2, Evangelista 1, Bondoc L.
