COLLEGE of Saint Benilde stunned University of the Philippines in a quick, 25-19, 25-14, 25-20, decision in the first phase of the 2024 Shakey’s Super League Collegiate Pre-season Championship classification round Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The three-peat NCAA champions Lady Blazers repelled the Fighting Maroons’ late third set fightback to complete the 79-minute rout and move on to the battle for fifth.
Clydel Catarig, Mycah Go and Grace Borromeo led Saint Benilde’s balanced scoring to end a four-game slide in the tournament backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, GCash, Chery Tiggo, F2 Logistics, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner, R and B Milk Tea and Summit Water
Lady Blazers setter Cheanae Basarte effectively activated her attackers to pepper UP with 40 attack points.
“Sa amin naman ginagawa namin ‘yung trabaho namin bilang kami lang ang NCAA team na pumasok (sa playoffs). Gusto namin makipagsabayan din kasi ‘yun ang trabaho namin,” said Basartel, who dished out 10 excellent sets.
“Iniisip namin na makakatulong ang Shakey’s (Super League) pagpasok sa NCAA,” she added.
Catarig finished with eight points, all from kills, while Borromeo had seven markers.
Go, Cristy Ondangan and Zamantha Nolasco chipped in with six points each for the Jerry Yee-mentored squad.
Saint Benilde will face the winner between Ateneo de Manila University and University of the East in the fifth place match of the competition which has Smart Sports, PLDT Fibr, Mikasa, Asics, Rebel Sports, Eurotel, Victory Liner, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), and SM Tickets as technical partners on November 16.
The Lady Blazers saw their 20-14 third set lead trimmed down to just two, 22-20, after the Fighting Maroons mounted a late uprising led by Irah Jaboneta.
A costly attack error by UP middle Kassandra Doering on a mistimed set by playmaker Sam Ildefonso followed by an overcooked attack by Kianne Olango pushed Saint Benilde at match point. Rhea Densing finished off the Fighting Maroons with a kill.
Nina Ytang and Jaboneta had seven points each for UP, which will play the loser of the other classification round pairing for seventh place.
De La Salle University and Far Eastern University were contesting a spot in the best-of-three finals, as of press time.
SSL games are aired live and on-demand via Puso Pilipinas, SMART Livestream, Solar Sports Channel 70 on Sky Cable and Channel 59 on Cable Link.
Games Saturday
(Rizal Memorial Coliseum)
3:30 p.m.— Ateneo vs UE (classification)
6 p.m. — FEU vs NU (semis)
