MANILA — Judiel Nitura once again delivered a commanding performance as Colegio de San Juan de Letran extended its perfect run to 11-0 after sweeping Lyceum of the Philippines University, 25-19, 25-19, 25-23, in the NCAA Season 101 women’s volleyball tournament Wednesday at the EAC Gym in Manila.
The victory kept the Lady Knights firmly on top of Group A and moved them just two wins away from completing a sweep of the preliminary round while securing the No. 1 spot in their pool.
Letran leaned on the all-around brilliance of senior opposite spiker Nitura, who finished with 14 points built on nine attacks, four service aces, and a block to steer the Lady Knights to another dominant outing.
Nitura ignited Letran’s charge in the third set, firing an ace that sparked a 4-1 start before delivering another service winner that stretched the Lady Knights’ advantage to 16-12.
Lyceum attempted to mount a comeback behind veteran Johna Dolorito. The Lady Pirates cut the deficit to 22-20 after Dolorito unleashed a down-the-line hit from the left side, threatening to force an extended set.
However, Letran regained control when Lyceum committed a crucial service error. Nitura then sealed the victory with a powerful attack from the opposite side, completing the straight-sets triumph.
The loss dropped the Lady Pirates to a 3-9 record in Group A, leaving them needing to battle through the play-in stage to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive.
In the day’s first match, Mapua University survived a five-set thriller against Jose Rizal University, 25-18, 25-19, 24-26, 21-25, 16-14, to boost its playoff push.
The Lady Cardinals squandered a two-set advantage but regrouped in the deciding frame to clinch the victory and improve to 5-6 in Group A, strengthening their bid for an outright quarterfinal berth.
Raissa Ricablanca paced Mapua with 23 points and 15 digs, while veteran middle blocker Nicole Ong added 19 points anchored on 14 attacks and five blocks. The defeat dropped the Lady Bombers to a 2-10 record in the standings./PN
