COLLEGE of Saint Benilde booked the last ticket to the next round after sweeping also-ran San Sebastian College, 25-19, 25-18, 25-20, in the 2024 Shakey’s Super League Collegiate Pre-season Championship Friday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The Lady Blazers displayed composure and maturity especially in the third set, staving off the Lady Stags’ desperate attempt to extend the match.
Wielyn Estoque showed the way in Saint Benilde’s second straight win to close Pool D with a 2-1 win-loss record.
The veteran winger pounded 11 kills with one kill block and one ace for a game-high 13 points for the Lady Blazers. The reigning three-peat National Collegiate Athletic Association champion joined seven teams from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines in the playoffs of the tournament backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, GCash, Chery Tiggo, F2 Logistics, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner, R and B Milk Tea and Summit Water.
San Sebastian rallied from a three-point deficit late in the third set to breathe down Saint Benilde’s neck, 21-20.
Clydel Catarig answered with a kill to ignite the Lady Blazers’ 4-0 closing barrage, which she punctuated with the match-clinching attack from the middle.
Saint Benilde head coach Jerry Yee praised his wards for stepping up to the challenge.
“’Yan naman ang inaasahan ko sa kanila. Ganoon naman tayo, tuturuan sila ng tama and composure is a part of it. Also, matagal na tayo sa labas, sa SSL and other leagues so nakikita ko na nagma-mature naman sila, nagi-improve and nakikinig naman sila,” he said.
Catarig finished with nine points while Cristy Ondangan and Rhea Densing added seven and six markers, respectively, for the Lady Blazers.
San Sebastian, led by Christina Marasigan’s nine points, ended its campaign winless in three outings.
Saint Benilde faces University of the East in Pool E on Sunday at the start of the second round-robin phase, where two twice-to-beat advantages in the crossover quarterfinals are at stake.
Also in Pool E are three-peat-seeking National University and De La Salle University.
University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University, Far Eastern University and University of the Philippines are in Pool F of the competition, which has Smart Sports, PLDT Fibr, Mikasa, Asics, Rebel Sports, Eurotel, Victory Liner, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), and SM Tickets as technical partners.
SSL games are aired live and on-demand via Puso Pilipinas, SMART Livestream, Solar Sports Channel 70 on Sky Cable and Channel 59 on Cable Link.
Games Sunday
(Rizal Memorial Coliseum)
11 a.m. –- Ateneo vs UST
2 p.m. –- UE vs CSB
5 p.m. — La Salle vs NU
