Lady Patriots edge Thunder, bag volley title

MANILA, Philippines - The La Salle-Dasmariñas Lady Patriots exacted sweet revenge on the defending champion Rizal Technological University Lady Thunder, 25-23, 25-16, 25-22, to regain the women’s volleyball crown in the 19th National Capital Region Athletic Association (NCRAA).

The Lady Patriots banked on the big plays of Most Valuable Player Iari Yongco, veteran spiker Jennifer Manzano and Mariel Desengano in the second set, denying the Lady Thunder a chance to claim back-to-back crowns Saturday at their own home court – the RTU gymnasium in Mandaluyong.

It took the Lady Patriots 67 minutes to dispose of the Lady Thunder and finish their best-of-three championship series with two wins and a loss in this spikefest supported by Mikasa and Molten Balls and ANI AgriNurture, Inc.

The Lady Patriots took the first set behind Jessamine Fernandez’s kills when the Lady Thunder kept matters close at 23-all.

Then, the 5’10” Yongco, a tourism junior, combined with Desengano and Manzano as the Lady Patriots extricated themselves from an 8-all deadlock and struck hard with a decisive 10-4 run to take the second set.

In the final set, Yongco scored four points on her attacks and serves, enabling the Lady Patriots to fight back from an 8-15 deficit and move ahead, 19-15, by scoring on their 11 straight serves.

“I am impressed with the composure our setter Mariel Desengano showed. Naibigay niya ang bola doon sa mga siguradong maiinit na teammates niya at siguradong makaka-score. Na-stop namin ang rally ng RTU. This is sweet revenge for us,” said Lady Patriots coach Darwin Campana.

In Game 2, RTU hacked out a 25-17, 28-26, 25-22 win over La Salle-Dasma after the Lady Patriots took the opener, 23-25, 25-23, 20-25, 25-16, 15-10.

Last year, RTU repeated over the three-time finalist La Salle-Dasma, 19-25, 25-17, 18-25, 25-21, 15-7, to win the crown at their own home court.