COLLEGE of Saint Benilde flirted with disaster but pulled through just the same, 25-17, 20-25, 25-10, 25-27, 15-12, over Enderun Colleges at the close of the preliminary round of the V-League Women’s Collegiate Challenge at the Paco Arena in Manila Sunday.
The Lady Blazers ended the eliminations with a 6-1 win-loss record and will take on the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors in the semifinals.
The Lady Titans finished their league debut with a 2-5 card.
Saint Benilde fell behind at 5-8 in the decider but turned the table around with a huge 5-0 run behind the heads-up game of skipper Clo Mondoñedo.
The back-to-back National Collegiate Athletic Association champions Lady Blazers wrapped up the victory in one hour and 48 minutes.
“The problem is themselves, but when they gathered their wits and composure, they got back on track,” Saint Benilde coach JP Martinez said.
Jade Gentapa starred in the victory with 18 points on 16 attacks and two aces, while Gayle Pascual added 17 points to underscore the squad’s balanced attack.
The Lady Titans drew 22 points from Erika Deloria and 21 from Althea Botor.
Mapua University wrapped up its campaign with a 25-15, 25-22, 25-22 victory over San Sebastian College-Recoletos to tie Enderun’s record.
The Lady Cardinals needed a balanced attack to end their campaign at 2-5, thanks to the steady plays of setter Trixie Gojol, who had 10 excellent sets.
Roxie dela Cruz scored 13 points, 10 from attacks, and Princess Barbiera added nine points for the Lady Cardinals.
ZJ Deposoy scored nine points for the Lady Stags, who went down to a 0-7 card.