NU girls’ team rules National Inter-collegiate Volleyball tournament

Guest team National University was crowned women’s champion in the just-concluded National Inter-Collegiate Volleyball Championship (3rd Pedro R. Mendoza Jr. Memorial Cup) at the University of the Cordilleras in Baguio City. 

The NU Bullpups swept all their games in the five-day competition organized by the Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF). In the finals, they scored a 25-23, 25-20, 25-18 upset win over NCAA champions Arellano University Lady Chiefs.

University of Baguio finished second runner-up while Lyceum of the Philippines University (Manila) was third runner-up.

Faith Nisperos was named Most Valuable Player for leading NU to the title victory while Raymund Castillo won the Best Coach award.

Three NU players were also honored with individual awards — Mikaela Belen (best opposite attacker), Joyme Cagande (best setter), and Princess Anne Robles (first best outside hitter).

Also receiving individual awards were Lyceum’s Cherilyn Sindayen (best server); Adamson’s Cherry Buemia (best libero), Andrea Marzan (first best middle blocker) and Jovie Prado (second best outside hitter); and University of Baguio’s Carmela Dicksin (second best middle blocker).

Meanwhile, John Philip Yude was named as Most Valuable Player after leading Adamson University to the championship in the men’s division. Domingo Custodio won the best coach award.

National College of Business and Arts (NCBA) was first runner-up, followed by Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) and University of Cordilleras (UC).

The individual awardees were Adamson’s Rence Melgar (best libero), Paolo Pablico (first best middle blocker), George Labang (best opposite attacker) and Leo Miranda (first best outside hitter); UC’s Rudolph Mariñas (best server); NCBA’s Daryl Valenzuela (second best middle blocker) and Lee Jumbo Nidua (best hitter); and Mapua’s Alfredo Pagulong (second best outside hitter). Jean T. Malanum/PNA