Knights, Chiefs seal NCAA name showdown

Bembem Bautista soared above the protection for a down-the-line destroy at fit level, triggering a Letran party by no means skilled up to now 15 NCAA males’s volleyball seasons.

From a typical fixture in boulevard competitions, Bautista now will get to play on an clearly larger level after spearheading the Knights’ go back to the Finals with a 22-25, 28-26, 25-14, 25-20 semifinal closeout win over College of St. Benilde on Friday in Season 100.

“As any individual who performed most commonly at the streets, I by no means imagined that I’d be capable to carry my abilities to the (NCAA) Finals,’’ mentioned Bautista in Filipino after hammering the CSB protection with 24 assaults out of a career-high 27 issues.

The fourth-ranked Knights totally erased the No. 1-seeded Blazers’ twice-to-beat benefit within the Final Four for a primary championship look since Season 85 when Letran received its 3rd immediately name.

“We promised ourselves that we will reach the championship. Everybody in the team thought the same way since the season began and we did it,” mentioned Bautista, who likewise shone at the defensive finish with 27 superb receptions aside from two blocks and an ace.

Vince Himzon teamed up with Bautista on walloping the Blazers with 18 issues on best of 3 blocks, whilst setter John Wayne Arano were given them into the groove with 17 superb units.

Adrian Villados introduced 20 superb units and 4 block issues, hitter Arman Guinto added 15 issues as Arellano likewise hurdled Mapua’s twice-to-beat edge, 25-20, 20-15, 20-15, to prepare a Finals showdown with the Knights.

Bautista, who performed for Arellano in highschool, had most popular to satisfy his former faculty within the best-of-three championship sequence that begins Sunday at Filoil Arena in San Juan.

“This is really overwhelming. They dominated us in the first and second rounds, but we were able to get back at them here in the semifinals,” mentioned long-time Letran trainer Brian Esquibel, who performed for the Knights’ males’s volley program in every other “three-peat” again within the 1990s.

Mike Balbacal and Raymark Betco had 15 issues each and every for the Blazers.