2 weeks Ago
Might and heart prevailed as Mapua University gutted out a 25-20, 31-33, 25-16, 21-25, 15-11 win over University of Perpetual Help System DALTA to sweep the first round of NCAA Season 100 men's volleyball on Saturday. The Cardinals ended their first-round run with a spotless 9-0 win-loss record while the defending champions Altas fell to joint fourth spot with a 5-4 card alongside San Beda University. Four players reached double-digit scoring for the fearsome Cardinals with fourth-year outside spiker Barbie San Andres presiding with 20 points, nine digs, and 20 receptions.
The lefty opposite spiker Saint Marlowe Jamisola chipped in 17 markers while Arjay Ramos and middle blocker Alvin Macadangdang chimed in with 15 and 14 points apiece. But the win wasn't without any hiccup for the Cardinals. After the two teams split the first four sets, it was the ALTAs who had an early lead in the deciding fifth set after Kobe Tabuga sent Perpetual to a 3-2 lead.
Since then, the momentum completely swung onto the side of Mapua with San Andres receiving a strong spike from Jeff Marapoc and converting it to a back row kill to give Mapua a 7-4 cushion. Perpetual then cut the gap to a point, 9-8, before Mapua responded with a crucial 3-0 run to create a 12-8 separation. Mapua's middle blockers did an excellent job protecting the net with Macadangdang unleashing a quick attack and Adrian Musni taking advantage of an overpass from Perpetual's libero Christam Galila for a 14-9 lead.
The four-peat seeking Perpetual tried to crawl back with back-to-back points, but a Jamisola long ball from the opposite side wrapped it up for Mapua. The loss saw Marapoc's heroic 34-point outing going down the drain. The veteran outside spiker also collected 17 receptions while Tabuga chipped in nine markers and six digs.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News.
