BACOLOD City – Bacolod Tay Tung High School Thunderbolts stamped their class as the country’s top grassroots girls’ volleyball team after overpowering Rafael B. Memorial High School in straight sets, 25–23, 25–16, 25–17, to capture the National Grassroots Volleyball League championship on Sunday.
Showing poise under pressure and firepower at crunch time, the Thunderbolts survived a tense opening set before unleashing a clinical assault in the next two frames to complete a dominant title run and seal the national crown in emphatic fashion.
Locked in a tight duel early, Tay Tung leaned on its composure to escape with a 25–23 first-set win. That breakthrough ignited the Thunderbolts, who tightened their net defense and executed with precision on offense to pull away convincingly in the second and third sets.
Leading the charge was tournament Most Valuable Player Mari Antoinette Ros Cacho, who delivered consistently throughout the championship campaign and anchored Tay Tung’s push to the throne.
The Thunderbolts’ balanced attack was further underscored by a string of individual citations: Memielle Jolliene Letran earned Best Open Spiker honors, Marishka Alexandria Andrada was named Best Setter for masterfully orchestrating the offense, Zelver Fait Banguiao claimed Best Middle Blocker after dominating at the net, and Luchi Vivero secured Best Libero recognition for her steady floor defense.
Rafael B. Memorial High School, despite falling short in the finals, produced an awardee in Seth Gaenga, who was cited as Best Opposite Spiker.
The championship triumph was steered by head coach Ian Macariola, with assistant coaches Gersan Banzuela and Sheryl Laborte, as Bacolod Tay Tung emerged as the undisputed queens of the national grassroots stage./PN
