Familian Spikers claim Championship, goes for Battle of the Champions
With the Spikers' advantage of championship experiences, St. Paul University of Quezon City's (SPUQC) volleyball varsity team couldn't handle the league's top-seeded team last October 12 in the anticipated AAPS District IV 2018 Secondary Girls Volleyball finals game at the Familian Court, resulting to a victorious 25-16, 25-19, 25-18 win for the defending champions.
The crowd cheering "Go Pame!" set the Spikers to a good start with Angkaw's checkball, followed by a block from Navarro encouraged the team to go and snag a ticket to the Battle of the Champions. Tinsay's twin aces for the other side was answered by Navarro's smart drop ball at 22-12, sealed with a smile.
The Paulinians tried to catch up once more with Blanco acing a serve combined with Viscara's chance ball which sent the Spikers' defense to a jumble but Navarro's sharp attack to the middle finished the opening set, 25-16.
Torres' win in the battle at the net against Lacay in set 2 plus two service aces pinned the Spikers, 16-13 but Ombid didn't let the opponent's hits scare her team thus hitting a strong attack to SPUQC's backline defense.
With Angkaw showering their challengers some drop balls teaming up with aces from the league's Best Setter, San Jose, clinched the set point at 24-17. SPUQC's Torres and Kuselakumar were persistent, delaying the set point, 24-19 but Llorente's push finally closed the set at 25-19.
Navarro's heat, fueled by a drop ball of Spikers' Angkaw and the roaring Familian crowd, couldn't be extinguished with a service ace courtesy of SPUQC's Torres at the first deadlock in the last salvo, 5-all.
An attack from Kuselakumar helped the Paulinians reduce the Spikers' lead to 2 at 16-18 but Angkaw's service backed by Arroyo's drop to zone 4 had the Spikers pulling away, 22-17. Back-to-back service aces from San Jose continued to draw blood from the opponents, winning a sweet 25-18 in the last set.
Angkaw lead the Spikers with 15 attacks and 5 service aces while Torres managed to make 6 points from 2 attacks and 4 service aces for SPUQC.
Prior to the championship, The Spikers in the Elementary Girls Division also won their championship against Saint Joseph’s College (SJC) volleyball varsity team, 25-18, 25-14.
An awarding ceremony was held after the championship game graced by the presence of Dr. Teresita Arcos-Surot and Mrs. Milagros Madriaga, Holy Family School's directress and principal respectively.
The Familian Spikers will be facing the champions from other districts on October 22, 2018, still at the Familian Court.
