De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde is back in a familiar territory, reaching the NCAA Season 101 women's volleyball finals after ousting University of Perpetual Help System DALTA in the Final Four.
The Lady Blazers sent the Lady ALTAs home by carving out a dominant 25-18, 26-24, 25-21 win in Game 2 of their best-of-three semifinals on Wednesday at the San Andres Sports Complex.
Rookie Cam Bartolome shone in the biggest game so far in her collegiate career, dropping a team-high 22 points, including 10 in the crucial Set 3. Veteran middle blocker Zam Nolasco and opposite hitter Clydel Catarig churned out 11 and nine markers each as Benilde reached its fifth straight finals appearance.
"Nakaka-proud kasi kita naman siguro 'yung growth namin as a team during first round hanggang sa sefcond round. Nu'ng first round, hindi pa kami bio pero nu'ng second round nakita talaga 'yung improvement namin ng lahat," Bartolome told GMA News Online.
"Pero kulang pa. May finals pa. Ang dami pang kailangan i-prove."
Benilde nearly wasted a six-point lead in Set 2 after top-seeded Perpetual turned a 13-19 deficit into just a slim 20-21 disadvantage thanks to sparkplug Liz Villanueva.
A Shai Omipon kill and an attack error from Nolasco even allowed the Las Piñas crew to force a 24-all deadlock, but Bartolome completed a combination play before finishing it off with a service ace as Benilde zoomed to a commanding 2-0 lead.
Bartolome, a product of Bacolod Tay Tung High School, converted three straight points to help Benilde build a 13-10 cushion in Set 3, but Perpetual staged a fightback with Omipon tying things up at 18-all.
Championship poise and composure, though, prevailed in the end for the Lady Blazers.
Shahanna Lleses delivered two crucial kills in a 3-0 blast while seldom-used middle blocker Fiona Inocentes came up with a key block on Camille Bustamante that gave Benilde a 23-19 cushion. Perpetual threatened to rally behind consecutive points from Villanueva and Bustamante, but Bartolome broke through a two-woman block to reach match point before Nolasco sealed the win with a powerful strike from the middle.
Benilde now awaits its championship challenger as Colegio de San Juan de Letran and San Beda University dispute the last finals ticket.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
