Mariners, Lady Patriots rule NCRAA volley

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Merchant Marine School Mariners are back as men’s champions, while the La Salle-Dasmariñas Lady Patriots retained the women’s crown for a third straight season in the 21st National Capital Region Athletic Association (NCRAA) volleyball tournament.

The Mariners got big plays from Alsali Pajiji and Midfaizal Mohammad in the final set as the Mariners needed only three sets to put away the Olivarez College Sea Lions, 25-19, 25-13, 25-22, at their foes’ own home-court – the  Olivarez College Sports Complex in Sucat, Parañaque.

In the women’s finals, graduating veteran Giselle Bembo joined hands with Jennifer Zarate at the front in fourth as they came up with timely hits that carried the defending champion Lady Patriots to a 25-19, 18-25, 13-25, 25-16, 15-6 conquest of the Rizal Technological University Lady Thunders.

Heads-up plays from Bembo and Zarate allowed the Lady Patriots to retain the women’s crown for the third straight season, two of them under the late Darwin Campana, who passed away late last year.

Pajiji and Mohammad stepped up with their frontline plays right after they forced a 19-all deadlock in the third set. Their efforts handed the Mariners the title, which they yielded to the La Salle-Dasmariñas Patriots last season.

The Mariners, who came off with a 22-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-15 subduing of the Sea Lions last Tuesday in Game 1, finished off their rivals in 62 minutes as they came up with a two-game sweep of their best-of-three finals series.

“Tinatagan namin ang defense namin sa kanila. Nagtrabaho nang mabuti sina Pajiji at Mohammad,” said coach Robert Buenamente of the Mariners, who had Paisal Bullong earning MVP honors.

Meanwhile, it took the Lady Patriots around 105 minutes to finish off the Lady Thunders and also claim a two-game sweep of their best-of-three title showdown.

In Game 1, the Lady Patriots hacked out a 22-25, 25-19, 25-15, 25-20 win over RTU.

The Lady Patriots, still shaking off memories of their loss to a Batangas-based squad during the regional PRISAA finals, led, 25-19, in the first before the Lady Thunders gave them a scare by dominating the next two.

Bembo, who is on her final year with MVP Mariel Desengano and Jessa Fernandez, sizzled with her serves, anchored the Lady Patriots to a 4-2 edge.

“Nagkaroon sila (Lady Patriots) ng buhay sa fourth set. They just enjoyed the game and forgot about their loss in the regional finals,” said the Lady Patriots’ new coach Raymund Ramirez, the replacement mentor of Campana, who passed away last December.

Campana was responsible for coaching the Lady Patriots to three previous crowns and numerous other titles since he first handled the team in 2009.