De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde survived Emilio Aguinaldo College in a grueling affair, 19-25, 27-25, 25-21, 23-25, 15-12, in the NCAA Season 101 women's volleyball quarterfinals on Tuesday at the San Andres Sports Complex.
The Blazers clinched a spot in the Final Four for the second straight year while also eliminating the Generals in the process. Benilde now awaits the winner between top-seeded Perpetual and Letran.
Reymark Betco led the gritty escape with 25 points off 19 attacks, four blocks, and two aces, while reigning MVP Rocky Motol added 19 markers as Benilde made sure not to squander its twice-to-beat advantage this time—unlike in Season 100, when the Blazers dropped two straight games to Letran in the semifinals.
Tied at 8-all in the deciding Set 5, Benilde raced to an 11-9 cushion when Mike Balbacal unleashed a quick kill before Betco's hammer from the opposite side made it a 12-10 cushion.
Another Balbacal quick sent Benilde to a 13-11 lead while Dexter Graniada sent the Taft crew to the match point when he caught the endline with a powerful spike from the left wing, 14-12.
Team captain and reigning best middle blocker John Austero then connived with setter Chris Villanueva in sending back a spike from Mark Palatino to close it out, 15-12.
Benilde spoiled a 33-point outburst from Jan Ruther Abor, who also grabbed nine digs in the five-set loss. Frelwin Taculog and Michael Gela, meanwhile, chipped in 14 and 13 markers as they missed the Final Four for the second straight year.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
