NCAA volleyball: Barbie San Andres, Nicole Ong star for Mapua teams

Mapua Cardinals’ Barbie San Andres during the NCAA Season 100 volleyball tournament. –NCAA/GMA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Mapua stayed among the league leaders in the NCAA Season 100 men’s and women’s volleyball tournaments, thanks to standout performances from Barbie San Andres and Nicole Ong.

Both spikers from Intramuros were named this week’s Collegiate Press Corps NCAA Players of the Week for their crucial roles in their teams’ strong first-round finishes.

Andres was a key factor in the Cardinals’ 2-0 record this week and an unblemished first round record after nine wins.

Hhe helped Mapua end the first round with a 25-20, 31-33, 25-16, 21-25, 15-11 win over Perpetual Help on April 5. The all-around spiker finished with a stellar game of 27 points built on four aces and two blocks.

Just days earlier, San Andres also flaunted his mastery over then-undefeated College of St. Benilde with 20 points in a dominant 25-20, 31-33, 25-16, 21-25, 15-11 victory.

“However we prepared in other games, that’s what we kept doing [vs. Benilde] because every opponent, we treat as equals,” said San Andres in Filipino.  “We control our game, no matter the opponent, weak or strong, if we play badly, we’ll lose.”

San Andres edged fellow Cardinal Juancho Barba, Letran’s Bembem Bautista, and Arellano’s Jiwen Sinuto for the weekly citation presented by the Philippine Sports Commission.

Mapua Lady Cardinals’ Nicole Ong during the NCAA Season 100 volleyball tournament. –NCAA/GMA PHOTO

On the women’s side, Ong anchored the Lady Cardinals to back-to-back wins for a 7-2 record at the end of the first round.

Ong registered 14 points and two blocks in Mapua’s upset of defending champion St. Benilde, 25-20, 11-25, 27-25, 25-21, on April 3.

“I think the adrenaline and the will to win were there because, really, who wouldn’t want to win?” said Ong.

She followed that up with 10 points just two days later in a 25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 25-17 win over Perpetual Help.