The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Blazers and Lady Blazers both stumbled against the Mapua University (MU) Cardinals and Lady Cardinals respectively, both 1-3, on Thursday, April 3, at the University of Perpetual Help DALTA (UPHSD) Gymnasium in Las Piñas City.

The Benilde Blazers and Mapua Cardinals were the first to witness action on the court with their flawless records at stake. The men donning red and gold capitalized on the Taft squad’s errors and miscommunication plagued the Benilde team, staging a 5-1 run to kick off the match. As Barbie San Andres and Arjay Ramos led the Cardinals, they maintained a lead throughout the first set to secure an advantage, 17-25. 

The Blazers found their footing as they matched their opponents’ intensity with Rocky Motol and team captain Arnel Aguilar at the helm. Deadlocked at 21-21, the men in green and white staged a 4-0 run to end the set, 25-21. 

As both teams went back-and-forth, it was evident they were fighting for the top seed spot. However, Benilde could not escape the Intramuros squad in the end game as they secured the third and fourth sets in their favor, 26-28 and 24-26.

The Lady Blazers and Lady Cardinals were next to grace the court. Similar to their male counterparts, Mapua started the game strong with a 7-2 run and did not look back to secure the first set, 20-25. However, as the Mycah Go and Clydel Catarig stepped up to take the reins, the ladies donning green and white quickly bounced back stronger, 25-11. 

Both squads were locked in as they faced off in a fierce contest. Ultimately, it was the composure of the Lady Cardinals, led by Nicole Ong and Gem Gavica, that won the game as they stunned the defending champions in the clutch, 25-27 and 21-25. 

The Benilde Blazers and Lady Blazers aim to bounce back as they await their next opponent in the second round of the NCAA Season 100 Volleyball Tournament. 

Set Scores:

Benilde Blazers: 17-25, 25-21, 26-28, 24-26

Lady Blazers: 20-25, 25-11, 25-27, 21-25