Junior Altas open volley title defense vs Staglets

MANILA, Philippines – Last year’s winner Perpetual Help seeks to jumpstart its title-retention bid as it clashes with San Sebastian today in the juniors division of the 91st NCAA volleyball tournament at The Arena in San Juan.

“Although the competition got stronger, we’re confident of our chances to repeat this season,” said Perpetual Help coach Sandy Rieta.

The Junior Altas downed the Lyceum of the Philippines Junior Pirates, 25-15, 25-23, 25-19, to seal last year’s juniors championship.

The crown also ended a four-year drought and sealed Perpetual Help’s seventh title overall to emerge the league’s second most decorated high school team behind San Sebastian (15).

It also soothed the heartaches of its men’s and women’s counterparts, who failed to defend their respective titles.

“This is for the whole school, that’s why we’re determined to win again,” said Rieta.

Perpetual Help’s top honcho and NCAA Policy Board member Anthony Tamayo said the Las Piñas-based school is giving its all-out support to the team.

“Perpetual Help is supporting not just our volleyball and basketball teams, but everyone who is representing the school,” said Tamayo.

The road they took though was bumpy,  to say the least.

Perpetual Help started out slow and even finished third on a 5-2  slate behind Lyceum (7-0) and former three-peat champion Emilio Aguinaldo College (6-1).