Benilde coach recalls rough path to NCAA glory

MANILA, Philippines – College of St. Benilde's road to NCAA women's volleyball success was never easy.

The first time Michael Carino looked at his team when he was appointed as the Lady Blazers' new coach three years ago, he mistook his squad for a sumo-wrestling team because most of his players were overweight.

"The first time I saw them, I thought this is a joke. I thought I was seeing a sumo team," said Carino.

But through discipline, hard work and a strict training regimen, Carino slowly but surely turned the Lady Blazers from the league's punching bag to what they are right now – champions.

In his first season two years ago, Carino's team didn't even make the Final Four but came out of nowhere last year to make it to the semis.

This year, St. Benilde barely made the semis being the last team to advance along with No. 3 Perpetual Help, No. 2 and last year's champion Arellano U and elimination round sweeper San Sebastian, teams that they failed to beat in the elims.

But the Lady Blazers bucked the odds and beat them one after another and capped it with a shock upset of the Lady Stags in the series where the former needed to win three times against the latter's two to win.

"The turning point was the semis game against Perpetual Help. It showed us we're capable of achieving something big," said Carino.

Jeanette Panaga came through the biggest as she ended up with a series high seven blocks in the helping St. Benilde shackle reigning back-to-back MVP Gretchel Soltones and San Sebastian in the deciding 25-22, 25-23, 22-25, 25-22 Game Four win Thursday.

For that, Panaga earned the Finals MVP plum and was named the new team captain come next season.

"Yes, It's definitely her," said Carino pointing to Panaga, a 21-year-old native of coastal town Limay, Bataan.

Panaga was quick to accept the challenge.

"It's a big responsibility but I will give it my best to live up to expectations," said Panaga, the league's two-time Best Blocker.

Like Panaga, outgoing skipper Djanel Cheng and Janine Navarro were also pivotal in the team's title run.

Cheng was the steady presence, playing the facilitator to the hilt while contributing in other things like blocking and defending while Navarro was the main aggressor in St. Benilde's attack.

But Cheng and Navarro played their last NCAA game, leaving Panaga the leadership mantle.