Baguio upends Benguet, bags Shakey’s NL plum

MANILA, Philippines - Baguio City National High School snatched victory from the clutches of defeat as it overcame a two-set deficit to frustrate Benguet State University, 23-25, 20-25, 25-13, 25-21, 15-11, and clinch the Northern Luzon leg crown of the Shakey’s Girls’ Volleyball League at the Davao Doctors College gym recently.

With their back to the wall after dropping the first two sets, the Baguio tossers fought back with an imposing win in the third then held on to force a decider.

They sustained their form in the fifth, never giving the BSU spikers a chance for a comeback and completing an improbable run to the championship and a spot in the Tournament of Champions set early next year.

University of the Cordilleras finished third in the week-long event sponsored by Shakey’s and organized by Metro Sports headed by president Freddie Infante.

Baguio City NHS thus joined the other regional winners of the event, backed by Mikasa, Asics, Tune Hotel, Burlington, BioFresh, Food Health and Science Magazine, in the T-of-C slated Jan. 13-17, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

They include University of San Jose-Recoletos, Central Philippine University, Leyte National High School, Angeles University Foundation and Ateneo de Davao, which ruled their respective elims in recent weeks.

Hope Christian High School topped the National Capital Region leg for the second straight year by sweeping University of Santo Tomas, 25-22, 25-23, 25-18.

Meanwhile, the Southern Luzon leg crown is being disputed at presstime in Imus City, Cavite.

Two guest foreign teams from Australia and New Zealand will spice up action in the T-of-C, according to tournament director Johanz Buenvenida of Metro Sports.