THE SAN BEDA Red Spikers went the distance in a five-set victory over the Letran Knights 20-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-17, 27-15 on the opening match of the second round of the NCAA Season 100 Men’s Volleyball Tournament last April 22 at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
The Red Spikers struggled in the opening set, falling to a 5-11 set score before a timeout from Head Coach Ariel Dela Cruz.
Despite a stronger showing after the timeout, the Red Spikers failed to capitalize on their momentum. The Mendiola-based squad dropped the first set of the match with a 20-25 set score.
Close action from both squads saw the Red Spikers take a narrow lead in the opening moments of the second set. A spike point from Ryan Rosman forced a Letran timeout with the Red Spikers leading with a 7-5 set score.
With the Knights staying close the whole set, the Red Spikers took their slim advantage all the way to the end,
The Red Spikers were struggling to keep themselves alive in the fourth set, with the Knights taking the lead. A spike from Raniel Ignacio resulted in a block touch, giving the Red Spikers a 25-23 second-set victory.
Despite gaining an 8-5 advantage in the early rallies on the third set, the Red Spikers struggled to overcome the floor defense of the Knights. Letran took the lead after a four-point run forced a San Beda timeout with a score of 17-21.
Even after a point from the Red Spikers, the Letran Knights went on another four-point run to finish the third set with a score of 18-25 in favor of Letran.
The fourth set saw both squads trade ties and leads in the opening moments of the set. The Red Spikers, able to take a 13-9 lead off a three-point run, forced a Letran timeout. With momentum staying on the side of the Red-and-White along with a service error from the Knights ended the fourth set with a 25-17 set score in favor of the Red Spikers.
Tied at two sets apiece, both squads went further in the deciding set of the match. The Red Spikers took control of the fifth set, finding themselves at match point with a score of 14-10. Letran rallied on, scoring four unanswered points to tie the contest and bring the set to extra points.
Both squads traded match points, answering each other’s attempts to seal the contest. The fifth set saw extended play reach the 20-point mark, with successful challenges from the side of Letran denying close calls from the Red Spikers.
A Ryan Rosman drop ball attack gave the Red Spikers another match point, leading 26-25. The Red Spikers sealed the match with a block point, ending the fifth set with a score of 27-25.
Axel Van Book led the Red Spikers in scoring with 19 points, closely followed by Ryan Rosman with 18 points and Anrie Bakil with 16. The second round opening victory sees the Red Spikers inch closer in their hunt for a final four slot with a 6-4 record.
The San Beda Red Spikers will look to continue their winning ways in their next match against the San Sebastian College – Recolletos (SSC-R) Golden Stags on Sunday, April 27, at the same venue.
Set Scores:
San Beda – CSJL: 20-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-17, 27-15
Box Scores:
San Beda (3): Book 19, Rosman 18, Bakil 16, Cabalsa 12, Munsing 9, Ignacio 7, Castañeda 4, Dela Cruz 1, Miljani 1, Tahiluddin 1
CSJL (2): Himzon 24, Vicente 15, Bautista 14, Abeto 10, Lardizabal 8, Arano 5, Ambrocio 3, Barba 1