Raissa Ricablanca came close to the NCAA scoring record after willing Mapua University to a 20-25, 26-28, 25-22, 25-20, 15-11 reverse sweep over Arellano University in NCAA Season 101 women's volleyball on Tuesday at the San Andres Sports Complex.
The lefty spiker exploded for 37 points, just one point shy of tying the 38-point NCAA single-game scoring record set by her teammate Freighanne Garcia in Season 100.
Incidentally, Garcia’s historic outing also came against Arellano, when she poured in 38 points in the Lady Cardinals’ 27-25, 22-25, 31-29, 20-25, 15-9 loss to the Lady Chiefs in last year’s battle for bronze.
This time, though, it was Mapua that walked away smiling.
But it was a shaky start for the Lady Cardinals with the Lady Chiefs surging to a commanding 2-0 lead before they clawed their way back by taking the next two sets to force a winner-take-all fifth frame.
Arellano once again started hot in Set 5 with an early 3-1 cushion, but Mapua slowly flipped the switch as Ricabalanca, who had 33 attacks, three aces, and one block, sent the Lady Cardinals to a 9-5 advantage off one of her aces.
An attack error by Crisanta allowed Mapua to seize a 13-8 lead before Franchesca Esteban clinched the match point with a swipe from the right wing, 14-10.
Ricablanca provided the exclamation, unleashing a kill from the left side to complete the reversal as Mapua improved to 4-5 in Group A. Arellano, on the other hand, slipped to 3-6 in Group B.
Nicole Ong supplied the help with 12 points while rookie Alexander Leabres chipped in nine markers and 20 digs.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
