Navy volleyball team confident of victory

By Jose T Ramos

The Manila Times, Thursday, 14 October 2010

Philippine Navy head coach Zenaida Ybañez is confident her team will dominate this year’s 2010 National Volleyball Open women’s division. “Our next two opponents are both strong but I’m confident with the way we’re playing right now,” said Ybañez after the Navy’s easy victory over Rizal Technological University (RTU) on Wednesday at the EARIST gym in Santa Mesa Manila.

The Navy, relying heavily on Angela Benting, Nerissa Bautista, Michelle Laborte and Suzanne Roces, scored a 25-13, 25-21, 25-21 win against RTU to stay unscathed in three games to top the women’s division.

Benting and Bautista, who led Adamson University to V-League title recently, joined forces by combining 24 kills all-throughout the three sets as the Navy delivered RTU its second straight setback.

“My players did not force themselves to save energy against De La Salle University tomorrow [Thursday],” said Ybañez, a member of the 1993 women volleyball squad that won gold in the Singapore Southeast Asian Games.

In the other games, La Salle beat winless University of the East (0-2), 25-17, 25-10, 25-16, for back-to-back victories while reigning champion Philippine Army (1-1) trounced Air Force (1-2), 25-14, 25-20, 25-27, 25-17.

Navy wins over Army

By Josef T Ramos

The Manila Times, Wednesday, 13 October 2010

PHILIPPINE Navy stunned reigning women’s champion Philippine Army via three-setter, 26-24, 25-17, 28-26, clinching its second win in the 2010 National Volleyball Open at the EARIST gym in Santa Mesa Manila.

Hard-hitting spiker Nerissa Bautista poured in 18 kills and 3 blocks, including two crucial hits in the endgame strengthening the Navy’s bid to capture the women’s crown.

With the win, the Navy is now on top of the women’s team standings with 2-0 win-loss card. The Army absorbed its first loss in first game.

In the other women’s match, Cherry Rose Macatangay helped the Philippine Air Force to bounce back from a first game loss by beating Rizal Technological University (RTU), 25-6, 25-12, 25-10 posting a 1-1 win-loss slate.

RTU dropped to 0-1.

In the men’s division, Philippine Air Force, the men’s defending champion, beat University of Perpetual Help, 25-18, 25-6, 25-12, while the Philippine Army outclassed Philippine Navy 25-22, 25-19, 25-17, and Jewels beat Yellow Brick Road, 27-25, 19.