Baguio College of Technology (BCT) preserved its perfect record Saturday, dismantling rival University of Baguio (UB) in straight sets, 25-21, 25-11, 25-18, at the University of the Philippines gym.
The victory keeps the Lady Atoms as the only unbeaten squad in the Baguio Benguet Educational Athletic League (BBEAL) women’s volleyball competition.
Skipper and setter Abigail Cunanan anchored the team through a tight first set where the Lady Atoms trailed 19-20 before regrouping to claim the frame, noting the team was “jittery” early on and only found their true rhythm in the second set, where they dominated the Lady Cardinals to take a commanding 2-0 match lead.
The third set featured a spirited individual showdown between BCT’s Shery Estal and UB’s Rya Arances.
After a back-and-forth exchange of attacks, Estal fueled a 21-11 BCT lead with a series of booming hits as she finished with a game-high 16 points, including 14 kills, while teammates Hazel Macapinlac and Margarette Samson provided support with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The win carries significant weight for BCT head coach Jun Nisperos, the former UB mentor who led the Lady Cardinals to consecutive titles before departing in 2015.
Since taking over at BCT, Nisperos has transformed the league’s smallest member into a powerhouse. With the win, the Lady Atoms continue their pursuit of a historic run that could eventually rival the long championship streaks held by UB, UC, and SLU.
Shariville Ayawan led the Lady Cardinals with 14 markers in the loss. UB, now 4-1, looks to bounce back tomorrow in a high-stakes matchup against the University of the Cordilleras to determine the second-place seeding. Roderick Osis