Patriots keep volley crown

MANILA, Philippines - The De La Salle University-Dasmariñas Patriots got big plays from three veterans in the fourth set as they repulsed the Olivarez College Sea Lions, 26-24, 24-26, 25-17, 25-21, and grabbed the men’s crown of the eighth Universities and Colleges Athletic Association volleyball tournament at the Emilio Aguinaldo College Sports Complex.

Paul Gil earned himself a Most Valuable Player award as he and teammates Hamansa Hamid and Edison Sundiam asserted themselves at the frontline and powered the Patriots to their seventh title

The Patriots finished the championship round with a 2-0 sweep of the best-of-three finals series.

The Cavite-based spikers took Game 1 last Sept. 9 when they pulled off a 27-25, 25-23, 25-20 triumph over the Sea Lions.

“I’m proud we still retained the title. Our rookies absorbed the team’s style of play and adapted easily,” said Patriots coach Fidel Rojales.

 Earlier, the DLSU-Dasmariñas Lady Patriots moved closer to the women’s plum when they outplayed the Technological Institute of the Philippines Lady Engineers, 25-16, 25-17, 25-20, in Game 1.

The Lady Engineers will have a chance to force a rubber match in Game 2 at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Ugnayang La Salle gymnasium in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

They led a combination of attacks which allowed the Patriots to move away behind a decisive 7-2 advantage in the fourth set of this spikefest supported by Mikasa and Molten Balls.

The Sea Lions gave the Patriots a big fight in the second set after they forced rookies Audrey Kona and Rey Ramirez to reception errors.