Lady Knights NCAA champs again after 27 years
Letran won out in a pressure-packed winner-take-all match against College of St. Benilde on Friday and the Lady Knights ruled the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament for the first time since 1999 while ending the Lady Blazers’ four-year reign.
A 15-25, 25-17, 26-24, 17-25, 15-12 Game 3 win at Rizal Memorial Coliseum was the culmination of a long grind that started with nothing but the championship in mind.
“You all made history,” coach Mayeth Carolino, who was a player in that 1999 champion squad, told her players. We are so happy. We have all been praying for this and we worked hard for this since Day 1. We really wanted this.”
Benilde was still very much in it after Letran’s Vanessa Sarie sailed an attack long for 12-all.
Sarie, however, atoned for that with a cross-court kill to give the Knights the lead they never lost, as Verenicce Colendra and Joralyn Panangin put the finishing touches to the championship run.
Colendra and Sarie finished with 23 and 19 points, respectively, while Gia Maquilang recorded 17 points, 17 receptions and 13 digs.
Judiel Nitura, named the Finals MVP, capped a brilliant title series stint with eight points. She had a combined 30 in the first two games.
“It’s our trust in the coaches,” Nitura said in Filipino. “We wouldn’t be able to achieve this without their guidance.”
