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Volleyball: St. Benilde sweeps Mapua to fuel V-League semis bid

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="The CSB Lady Blazers. PVL Media." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/09/06/v-league-2023-csb-v-mun-csb-celebrate.jpg"/><figcaption>The CSB Lady Blazers. PVL Media.</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA -- College of St. Benilde fended off a gritty Mapua side for its third straight win in the V-League Women&#x27;s Collegiate Challenge, Wednesday afternoon at the Paco Arena in Manila.The Lady Blazers scored seven unanswered points to pull away for a 23-13 lead in the third set, with Zam Nolasco and Clydel Catarig then delivering the finishing touches. With the win, CSB stayed within striking distance of joint leaders Far Eastern University and University of the East, who are both unbeaten at 5-0.Both the Lady Tamaraws and the Lady Warriors are already through to the semifinals.&quot;Slow start na naman kami. Ayaw lang din namin na marami kaming errors, pero so far so good naman yung laro,&quot; said Saint Benilde assistant coach Jay Chua. &quot;Nakapag-focus talaga at sana magtuluy-tuloy ang magandang performance ng mga bata.&quot;The back-to-back NCAA champions leaned on their net defense, finishing with 15 blocks -- five each from Nolasco and Gayle Pascual. Skipper and playmaker Clo Mondoñedo came up with 12 excellent sets.Roxie dela Cruz scored 10 points, including four aces late in the third, while Raisa Ricablanca backed her up with nine markers for Mapua, which fell to 1-3.In the other women&#x27;s division game, Mary Rose Dapol showed her MVP form and steered University of Perpetual Help System DALTA to a 25-27, 25-14, 25-22, 25-19 win over Enderun Colleges.Dapol peppered the Lady Titans&#x27; defense with 26 points as the Lady Altas stayed at fourth place with three wins against two defeats.Later in the night, Ken Batas steered Ateneo de Manila University to its fourth straight win, taking down University of Perpetual Help System DALTA in four, 25-18, 21-25, 25-21, 25-21. Batas, the sophomore opposite hitter, exploded for 21 points, including a booming kill in the fourth set that gave Ateneo the match point. The Blue Eagles remained at the top of the table with a 4-0 record.Jian Salarzon chipped in 14 markers for Ateneo in the nearly two-hour match, 11 came from attacks, while Amil Pacinio added 12.Meanwhile, Leo Aringo unleashed a 23-hit game as National University repelled De La Salle University, 19-25, 23-25, 25-15, 25-22, 15-11, to stay in the semifinal hunt.Michaelo Buddin carried the defending champions with three straight kills, before Aringo took over and banged in his 22nd and 23rd markers of day to close out the match. The captain also finished with nine excellent receptions.Buddin ended up with 26 points on 23 attacks, one block, and two service aces, but it was the solid playmaking from first-time starter Clarenz Belostrino that fueled that explosion from the open hitter and the rest of the Bulldogs.NU&#x27;s win spoiled the huge 29-point outing by JM Ronquillo and the 19 markers by Noel Kampton.

St. Benilde fended off a gritty Mapua side for its third straight win in the V-League Women's Collegiate Challenge, Wednesday afternoon.