Lady Patriots take volley plum

DASMARINAS-- Pangasinense spiker Jennifer Manzano whipped up a storm as she and two other teammates carried  the La Salle-Dasmarinas Lady Patriots to their seventh women’s  crown in the 17th National Capital Region Athletic Association volleyball tournament last Thursday.

    The five-foot-11 Manzano made her presence felt as the Lady Patriots snagged three crucial points and escaped with a 16-25, 25-23, 20-25, 25-20, 15-13, beating of the defending champion Rizal Technological University Lady Thunder at the Animo Center gymnasium of the DLSU-Dasmarinas Health and Sciences Campus here.

    It was the Lady Patriots’ seventh crown, and after they snatched back the title which they lost to the Lady Thunder last year in this spikefest which is supported by Molten and Mikasa Balls.

The Lady Patriots extended their best-of-three to a deciding Game 3 after they bounced back in Game 2 with a 26-24, 22-25,25-21, 25-21 stopping of the RTU Lady Thunder last week.

    Manzano, who was adjudged as the most valuable player, first forced a 13-all deadlock when she and Regina Tungol managed to block a return spike by Ferus Agang at the net.

    Agang, who is one of RTU’s fearsome offensive specialists, then tried to force another deadlock, but Manzano got in the way at the right side with the help Wensh Tiu, and this the Cavite-based spikers to move ahead by a point.

    A drop ball from Manzano sailed past defenders Marishelle Tagudin and Claire Cagampang, enabling the Lady Patriots to deny RTU a chance to claim back-to-back titles at the end of their two hour and 52-minute showdown.
   
    “We anticipated the strength of RTU. Kaya kapit lang kami. Mas maganda at masarap itong championship na ito dahil malakas na kalaban ang RTU. They deserve the title,” said Lady Patriots coach Darwin Campana.

    The Lady Thunder were ahead after three sets, 2-1, when lanky April Almaden stepped up in the fourth, and scored three big points on her smashes to bring the Lady Patriots out of 14-15 deficit, and into a 19-16 edge.

    Hidemi Miyata’s ace and and net error by the RTU defense then allowed the Dasmarinas spikers to grab the fourth set win.

    Agang was later hailed as the tournament’s best receiver, and was feted with Lady Patriots spikers Precious Abano (best server) and Almaden (best spiker). RTU spiker Rose Bosante and Jane Nunag was named best setter and best libero respectively.