Altas volleyball teams win 3 titles
Fresh from clinching the NCAA men’s volleyball crown, University of Perpetual Help System Dalta defeated UAAP champion National University to claim the inaugural championship of the Philippine University Volleyball League on Thursday, January 26.
The Altas spikers of team owner Tony Tamayo dispatched the Bulldogs in straight sets 25-17, 25-18, 33-31 to prevail in the “battle of champions” among the country’s best collegiate volleyball teams at the Home of the Altas Gymnasium in Barangay Pamplona 3 here.
The Altas also ran away with most of the major awards in the tournament as Louie Ramirez was named Most Valuable Player and Best Attacker, John Philip Pepito won as Best Libero, and Sammy Acaylar was named Best Coach.
The final match was also a sweet revenge for the Altas men’s tossers as they lost to the Bulldogs during the elimination round. It was their only setback in the tournament.
“We have a solid team this year and our team played with a lot of guts and pride. We did not want to lose on our home turf,” Acaylar said.
Meanwhile, the Perpetual Help juniors volleyball team of coach Sandy Rieta continued to rule the NCAA indoors volleyball.
The Junior Altas defeated the Arellano University Braves in the finals, 25-23, 25-23, 16-25, 25-22 at the Arellano University Gym in Pasay City on Saturday, January 28, to claim their sixth consecutive crown.
The Las Piñas-based team has held the NCAA crown since Season 90 and has a total of 12 juniors volleyball championships since joining the league in 1984.
Jon Rey Solamillo was named First Best Outside Spiker and Most Valuable Player (MVP), Niño Versano was voted Second Best Outside Spiker, and Sandy Rieta won as Coach of the Year.
Also, the Altas sand spikers of Louie Ramirez, Jeffferson Marapoc (MVP) and John Philip Pepito ruled the NCAA men’s beach volleyball tournament.
Marapoc was named MVP as he lifted Perpetual Help to a 21-10, 15- 21,15-13 victory over Emilio Aguinaldo College in the finals at the Subic Bay Sand Courts in Zambales on January 21.
With the win, the Altas now have the right to represent the country in this year’s Summer Universiade, a biennial international event that brings together student athletes worldwide, in Bali, Indonesia.
The Perpetual Help Lady Altas volleyball team, meanwhile, settled for a runner-up finish after a five-set loss to the Mapua Lady Cardinals in championship match 25-13, 25-19, 23-25, 22-25, 13-15.
“In seven days, the Perpetual Help volleyball program has won an unprecedented three crowns,” Tamayo said.