Benilde snags Final Four bonus with rout of Mapua

Mycah Go (in white) says losses taught them lessons. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Mycah Go has deeply immersed herself in mending the College of St. Benilde’s previous setbacks that the former season MVP somehow lost track of the standings.

“Is it true? Are we really in the Final Four?” Go asked reporters after the Lady Blazers walloped the Mapua Lady Cardinals in straight sets, 25-12, 25-19, 26-24, on Friday in the NCAA Season 100 women’s volleyball tournament.

It wasn’t only a semifinal slot that the Lady Blazers pocketed, but also a sure twice-to-beat advantage which could grease their pursuit of a fourth consecutive title.

“It’s fine that we lost (some of our games). If we didn’t lose, we will never learn,” said Go, who saw action for CSB in two of their last three championships. “We took these setbacks as lessons. We were able to pinpoint our lapses and the things we need to improve on.”

Apart from closing in on another title run, this Mapua matchup at Filoil Flying V Arena was exceptionally special for the Lady Blazers.

“We lost to them in the first round, so we were able to rebuild our confidence by getting back at them,’’ said CSB coach Rogelio Getigan Jr.

With two more elimination round assignments left, the Blazers wrested top spot with a 14-2 record while sending the Lady Cardinals to their sixth defeat in 17 games and giving idle Letran (13-3) a sure ride to the Final Four.

The Lady Cardinals are locked in a tie with the Arellano Lady Chiefs, with both aiming to land in the semifinal as well as Perpetual Help (9-6) with three more games remaining for the Lady Altas.

“Our goal is to be ranked No. 1 or to be in the top two to gain advantage (in the Final Four) and we were able to accomplish that,” said Getigan.

But it wasn’t easy disposing of the Lady Cardinals. Although the Lady Blazers secured the first two sets fast, before the defending champions had to pull themselves together in the third set where they trailed by as many as five points.

All it took was one Mapua service error to shift the tide, allowing Go, Cristy Ondangan and Shahanna Lleses to charge back before Aya Densing’s cross-court attack sent the game into match point.

Ong leveled the count at 24 but Mapua’s Grace Cabadin misfired her attack and Ondangan scored an ace that sealed the deal.