Rise and fall

Saturday, January 21, 2012

A MORE aggressive University of Mindanao (UM) upset reigning champion Holy Cross of Davao College in men's volleyball while Jose Maria College (JMC) Aces opened their title-defense on a high note in the distaff side of the ongoing Davao City Private Schools Athletic Association (DC-Prisaa) Meet at the UM Matina Gym Saturday.

UM, coached by Jonathan Vanta, jump-started a 6-0 run but the Ali Bernan-mentored HCDC rallied behind the heroics of veterans Edmar Flores, Renz Nestor Sinoc and Joel Villenson to come close, 10-12 in the first set.

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Reymark Demetrio, Gilbert Abis and Peter Paul Tagalog, however, stepped up stiffened UM's defense and capitalized on HCDC's series of errors to take the first set, 25-17.

Bernan's wards, however, came back strong early in the second set but the title-hungry UM spikers staged a searing rally to secure the second set, 25-22, and wrap up the match.

Vanta beamed, "It's overwhelming to beat the champions who defeated us in the finals last year. I only have few veterans left in the team and the rest are beginners. It's still a long way off for us in the tournament. We can't be complacent."

He cited the rigid training the team underwent in April and the quality players they have recruited from Surigao and Panabo.

Bernan, for his part, admitted that his players still have to work as a team since Flores, Sinoc and Villenson were the only remnants of the 2011 champion team.

"The players need to jell as a team. Our current roster is composed mainly of first year college students. We will have to tighten our defense in the following games to keep our title-retention hopes alive. This is going to be a tough meet for us," Bernan addeed.

The JMC Aces, meanwhile, pulled off a lopsided 25-11, 25-6 victory over Emar College while UM lady spikers also drew first blood at the expense of HCDC, 25-16, 25-20.

In basketball, the HCDC Crusaders survived past JMC Kings, 77-71, in overtime. Both teams were tied, 65-all, at the end of regulation time. But Levi Ochate, Leo Bordas, Francis Espiritu and Lloyd Lacida combined for Crusaders' 12 points in the five-minute extension over the Kings who only converted six behind Joshua Adalid and company.

Bordas canned 18 markers as teammates Ochate and Lacida chipped in 16 and 15, respectively, for the Crusaders while Adalid poured in 22 for the Kings' losing cause.

In other matches, Roderick Conda-coached UM Wildcats shattered Brokenshire College, 116-61, while Mats College of Technology hacked out a 60-57 win over University of the Immaculate Conception.

The University of Mindanao (UM) Cardinals, meanwhile, began their title-defense with a smashing 125-20 victory over Davao Doctors College.

The Cardinals of coach Crisanthemum "Ining" Sarabia will also defend their regional and national titles this year.