After more than three months of action, the NCAA Season 100 volleyball tournament is coming to a close, but not before witnessing excellent performances ahead of the playoffs.
The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Lady Blazers and the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights went perfect in the last two weeks of the elimination round, with Zam Nolasco and Vince Himzon leading their respective squads in crucial wins heading into the Final Four.
With their consistent performances which came just at the right time, Nolasco and Himzon were named as the final Collegiate Press Corps' NCAA Players of the Week, presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, for the period of May 20 to 30.
Nolasco has been a steady rise in Benilde's run as the Taft-based squad completed a second round sweep with the Lady Blazers going 4-0 in the homestretch of the tourney.
The third-year middle blocker posted a game-high 17 points built on 11 attacks and 6 blocks in their crucial 25-18, 25-19, 17-25, 25-18 victory against Colegio de San Juan de Letran last May 21, then she had six points in their 25-12, 25-19, 26-24 win against Mapua University last May 23 to exact revenge against their first round tormentors.
"Tinalo kami last time nung first round [ng Mapua], malaking kumpiyansa 'yun kumbaga nakabawi kami rito. 'Yung nakaraan din 'yung Letran tinalo kami noon, so dala-dala ng mga bata 'yung kumpiyansa," Benilde head coach Onyok Getigan.
The streak continued for Benilde and Nolasco as she scored 10 points in Benilde's 25-15, 25-23, 25-18 win against University of Perpetual Help System DALTA before sealing her impressive run in the eliminations with another game-high 12 points on 9 attacks and 3 blocks against Lyceum of the Philippines University where they won 25-20, 25-18, 25-12.
The four-peat seeking Benilde wrapped up the eliminations with 16-2 and will enter the Final Four as the top-seeded squad.
Nolasco defeated teammate Aya Densing, San Beda's Angel Habacon, and Letran's Gia Maquilang for the weekly award backed by Discovery Suites and World Balance.
Himzon, meanwhile, has been one of Letran's pillars as the Knights went 3-0 in the final stretch of the elimination round.
The third-year middle blocker had a team-high 21 points built on 18 attacks, two blocks, and an ace, as Letran defeated fellow contender Benilde, 23-25, 25-21, 25-14, 25-23, last May 21.
This was followed by a 13-point outing against Jose Rizal University where Letran won, 25-20, 25-18, 25-12, before the Knights officially clinched the Final Four spot with its victory over Mapua, 25-16, 25-21, 25-20, behind Himzon's 15 points.
Himzon edged Arellano's AC Guinto, Perpetual's Kobe Tabuga, and LPU's Jun Frank Edang for the weekly recognition being deliberated upon by writers covering the collegiate beat.
The Knights finished the elimination round with a 12-6 card as they will be the fourth-ranked team come semifinals.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
