Arellano Lady Chiefs. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The toughest week of Arellano coach Obet Javier ended in a blaze of glory for his Lady Chiefs.
Still grieving the recent passing of his wife, Amy, who succumbed to lung cancer last week in Spain, Javier steered Arellano to a second crown in three years after repulsing San Sebastian, 25-15, 22-25, 25-23, 25-16, Tuesday in the 92nd NCAA women’s volleyball at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
While the Lady Chiefs willed their way to overcome the Lady Stags’ thrice-to-beat advantage in the finals, capped by an awe-inspiring performance in the title-clincher, their coach was a picture of strength in the a series where his team was given little chance.
“Even though my wife is no longer here, she always told me she wanted us to be champions again,” Javier said. “When I told the team about what happened to my wife, they told me they’re dedicating the championship to her.”
As the Lady Chiefs celebrated their conquest, Javier fought back tears near their bench.
“I wanted to be strong for the team in this series,” said Javier. “I can mourn on my own.”
It was another heartbreaker for the Lady Stags, who were also upset in last year’s finals by the St. Benilde Lady Blazers.
Lady Stags star Grethcel Soltones won the Most Valuable Player award for a record third time, but she was also on the losing end in the finals for the third straight year. Soltones led San Sebastian to four finals appearances in her collegiate career.
The Lady Chiefs opened up a 16-10 advantage in the fourth set and kept the Lady Stags at bay until the end.
Arellano stunned San Sebastian, 25-18, 25-20, 25-16, last week before coming away with a marathon 18-25, 25-16, 25-11, 26-28, 15-13 victory Friday.