St. Benilde survives Enderun scare

It took a few scary moments before St. Benilde could end its preliminary round with a celebration. —PVL PHOTO

College of Saint Benilde needed a rescue job from skipper Clo Mondoñedo in the deciding set before escaping the upset plans of Enderun College, 25-17, 20-25, 25-10, 25-27, 15-12, on Sunday in the 2023 V-League Women’s Collegiate Challenge at Paco Arena in Manila yesterday.

The Lady Blazers thus closed out the preliminary round with its sixth win in seven games and will battle a streaking University of the East squad in the semifinals.

The Lady Warriors have been on a roll in the tournament and St. Benilde coach JP Martinez knows it will take a lot more focus than what his team showed against Enderun, which ended its debut in the tournament with a 5-2 (win-loss) slate.

“The girls had no problem but themselves,” Martinez said. “But when they gathered their wits and composure, they got back on track.”

St. Benilde was on the edge of a big fall after trailing, 5-8, in the fifth set, before Mondoñedo fueled a run of five straight points to seize control.

Jade Gentapa added 18 points on 16 attacks and two aces for the Lady Blazers while Gayle Pascual chipped in 17.

In another game, Mapua wrapped up its campaign with a 25-15, 25-22, 25-22 victory over San Sebastian. INQ