The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Blazers faltered against the Colegio de San Juan de Letrán (CSJL) Knights, 1-3, while the Lady Blazers dispelled doubts with their gritty win against the Lady Knights, 3-1, on May 21 at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.

The opening set was neck and neck, with the Knights breaking away early before Rocky Motol closed the gap for the Blazers, 12-12. As the Knights pulled ahead in crunch time, the Taft squad again leaned on Motol for a 5-point burst to snatch an early game advantage, 25-23.

The second set turned into a dead heat as Letran managed to hold off the men in green and white, 21-25. However, momentum slipped further away in the third set as the Blazers suffered untimely errors, 14-25.

Refusing to fold, Benilde battled in a tug-of-war fourth set. James Marasigan and Motol rallied for a late-game lead, but Letran’s Vince Himzon levelled the score, 22-22. A final push by Marasigan sparked some hope for the Blazers, but Letran answered with a decisive three-point run to close the set to snap Benilde’s four-game winning streak, 23-25.

The Lady Blazers stormed the taraflex next with an early 6-0 run fueled by Zam Nolasco. The Lady Knights attempted to hold their reins with Vanessa Sarie and Judiel Nitura holding the squad at the helm; however, Rhea Densing and Cristy Ondangan stepped up to close out the first set, 25-18. 

The second set unfolded in a similar fashion, with the defending champions pulling away to secure a 2-0 advantage, 25-19. The third set, however, told a different story, with the Intramuros team deciphering the Taft Squad’s game plan with a 10-1 run to force another set, 17-25.

The green and white squad brushed off the dirt after a third-set stumble as Mycah Go took command, orchestrating a fierce 9-2 run along with Taft's towering Nolasco. Densing hammered the final nail, reclaiming the match to remain unbeaten in the second round,  25-18. 

Zam Nolasco led the Lady Blazers with 17 points on 11 attacks and 6 blocks as  the Lady Blazers notched their 6th consecutive win.

The Benilde Blazers and Lady Blazers will face the Mapua University (MU) Cardinals on Friday, May 23, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre with a live telecast on the NCAA Philippines Facebook and YouTube pages.

Set Scores:

Blazers: 25-22, 21-25, 14-25, 23-25
Lady Blazers: 25-18, 25-19, 17-25, 25-18