JUNIOR ALTAS SCORE FOUR-PEAT TRIUMPH
PERPETUAL Help left no room to chance as it flattened Letran, 25- 17, 25- 17, 2517, on Thursday to snare a four- peat feat in the 93rd NCAA juniors’ volleyball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan City.
Ivan Encila and Noel Michael Kampton led the attack by firing 16 and 15 points, respectively, while Jody Margaux Severo did most the dirty job with nine digs and 15 receptions to help the Junior Altas sweep the Squires in two games.
It was the Las Piñas-based school’s fourth straight title and 11th overall, which put it three behind Letran as the league’s most titled high school team with 14.
“We’re so happy that all the hard work, sacrifices we’ve done have finally bore fruit,” Perpetual Help coach Sandy Rieta said in Filipino.
In contrast to its 25-16, 25-15, 20-25, 2520 win in Game One on Monday, Perpetual Help gave Letran little hope as it dominated from start to finish with a lethal combination of unstoppable attacking, near-impenetrable net defense and superb court coverage.
Severo was the heart of it as not only did he contributed in scoring but also led his team’s floor defense with nine digs and 15 receptions, enough to earn him his second Finals MVP trophy.
Severo, however, has played his final game in Perpetual Help uniform as he and eight others are graduating.
“I will lose nine players including him (Severo) next year so it will really be tough for us,” said Rieta.
Rieta, however, could console himself with the fact that he will retain Kirth Patrick Rosos, the reigning season MVP, and the power-hitting Kampton, who averaged an impressive 18.5 points in the series.
“That’s my next goal, to find and train players the whole of this year to fill the spots left by my graduating players,” he said.