The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Lady Blazers outplayed the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Lady Eagles, 3-0, while the Blazers succumbed to a claw attack by the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Spikers, 0-3, at the V-League 2025 Collegiate Challenge Conference on Aug. 15, at the Paco Arena in Manila City.
The Lady Blazers were first on the taraflex against the Lady Eagles who were eager to make a statement in their tournament debut. The ladies in blue and white were led by Zey Pacia and team captain Taks Fujimoto, while the NCAA queens had Rhea Densing and the twin powerhouses Ashley Lleses and Kai Lleses. Katipunan could not launch an effective offense against the tough Taft ladies as they secured the first two sets, both 25-18.
The third set saw five unanswered points from the Lady Blazers; however, the Lady Eagles’ Alana Tan Chi and Gena Hora attempted a comeback to trim the Taft squad’s 8-point advantage. Still, Densing kept the ladies donning green and white ahead by delivering a precise corner attack. The Lady Blazers sealed the victory as the Lady Eagles could not find their game momentum, 25-17.
The action continued with the Blazers who looked to challenge the España crew on the same court. The first set witnessed a back-and-forth exchange early on until UST pulled away midway with a six-point cushion. Benilde chipped away at the deficit on multiple occasions, but the Golden Spikers held their ground to secure the opener, 21-25.
The second set proved to be a much tighter affair as both teams traded points until the final stretch. Mike Balbacal, Rocky Motol, and Reymark Betco powered the Taft squad to keep the score close, but Jan Macam at the net, along with Trevor Valera and an emerging GBoy de Vega, capitalized on the Blazers’ piling errors to take another frame, 21-25.
Both sides refused to budge in the extended third set as it turned into a deep thriller. Balbacal broke through the blockers in yellow to put CSB at set point, 26-25. However, errors and tight exchanges kept the score tied, 28-28. De Vega, who anchored the Golden Spikers throughout the frame, delivered a powerful strike to bring UST to match point before the España squad closed out the game with a final block, 30-28.
K. Lleses was crowned player of the game with 10 points on 8 attacks and 2 aces as the Lady Blazers continued their 3-0 crusade in the tournament. Betco kept the Blazers in contention with 13 points on 13 attacks, while Motol pitched in 11 markers as the Blazers fell to 0-1 in their debut.
The Benilde Blazers will face the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Spikers next on Aug. 17, while the Lady Blazers will face the Adamson University (ADU) Lady Falcons on Aug. 19 at the same venue with a live telecast on V-League’s official website, Facebook, and YouTube pages.
Set Scores:
CSB vs ADMU: 25-18, 25-18, 25-17
CSB vs UST: 21-25, 21-25, 28-30
