WNCAA: Lyceum, EAC, RTU champs; Benilde forces Game 3

Host Lyceum of the Philippines University and Emilio Aguinaldo College bagged the senior volleyball titles of the 38th WNCAA tournament Friday, sweeping their respective opponents at the St. Scholastica's College gym. The league statement Saturday also said that Rizal Technological University bagged the Senior B basketball crown and College of St. Benilde forced a rubber match for the Senior A title against defending champion Lyceum. The Lady Pirates turned back the St. Francis of Assisi College Doves, 25-18, 25-18, 25-16, to keep the Senior A title - their eighth in the country's first and only tri-level league for women. The EAC Generals beat the La Consolacion College Manila Blue Royals, 25-27, 25-22, 27-25, 25-22, for the Senior B plum. RTU copped the Senior B cage crown with a similar 2-0 sweep over St. Francis, winning Game Two, 74-47. But CSB and Lyceum will clash one more time after the Blazers nipped the Lady Pirates, 48-46. Lyceum won Game One, 43-42, last October 7 when CSB muffed its three tries in the final 16 seconds. The final play in Game Two almost followed the same script, except that the Blazers got the better end of the deal when April Lualhati missed a jumper in the last five seconds that could have sent the game into overtime. Game Three is set at 3 p.m. Sunday, also at the St. Scholastica's gym. In the individual awards, Lyceum's Machiko Matsuno was named Senior A basketball Most Valuable Player and RTU's Cariza Valdez took the Senior B plum. Picked Senior A volleyball MVP was Lyceum's Sherrilyn Carillo and LaCo's Larmy Gail Ramirez in Senior B. Matsuno, who will play for the National team that will compete in the Seaba tournament in Thailand, was joined in the Mythical Five by Lualhati, Juvi Banaria of CSB and Christine Causapin and Shalimar Roxas of third placer St. Scholastica. The Senior B Mythical Five members were Valdez, EAC's Cherry Anne Velayo and Dian Cas, Philippine Women's University's Shynel Villedo and University of Asia and the Pacific's Rosel Teotico. The Senior A Mythical Six were composed of Lyceum's Beverly Boto (blocker) and Mary Grace Babalo (setter), St. Francis' Sarah Gonzaga (attacker) and Roma Cyryll Jaro (libero/digger) and RTU's Angel Baduria (receiver) and Merichelle Tagudin (server). Comprising the Senior B Mythical Six were LaCo's Cristalle Joyce Cruz (attacker), EAC's Dona Mae Factor (blocker), Marivic Lomboy (setter) and Angeline Santos (libero/digger), San Beda College Alabang's Mossah Carlos and Miriam College's Camille Alcantara. - GMANews.TV