The SWU men’s team, back-to-back Cesafi champions.
CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON
Southwestern University (SWU) completed a successful year in the Cesafi volleyball tournament, winning three of the four titles at stake on Sunday at the University of San Carlos (USC) gym.
SWU’s women’s team completed a rare grandslam with a 25-18, 25-20, 29-27 win over the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Lady Jaguars while its men’s team claimed its second straight title with a 21-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-23 decision against USC. SWU’s girls team completed the domination as it trounced the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC), 25-13, 25-16, to be crowned new champs.
SWU Head Coach Dave Arreza said their teamwork played a key role in the team’s success in the past two years.
But as good as their teamwork was yesterday, it was one man’s efforts that carried the team after taking off to a slow start.
SWU actually lost the first set, 21-25, to the home team but the Cobras recovered in time behind the heroics of eventual Most Volleyball Player (MVP) Alden Dave Cabaron. It was Cabaron who scored the game-winning point in the second set to help the Cobras tie the game at one set apiece.
With momentum on their side, the Cobras displayed their offensive dominance, starting the third with a 12-8 blast before finishing off the Warriors with another 13-10 run.
SWU carried its momentum to the fourth set, playing good solid defense, capped off by the game-winning block of Cabaron and Rommel Pepito.
After the game, Cabaron said he didn’t expect to be named MVP.
“I really didn’t expect to be named MVP because we always play as a team and we win because of total team effort,” said the 18-year-old Cabaron.
The mythical team in the men’s division is composed of Cabaron (SWU), spiker Pepito (SWU), setter Ryan Varga (SWU), receiver Jun Patrick Villaflor (USPF), blocker Gavinito Yongco (USC) and server Mark Joseph Rocamora (USJ-R).
CESAFI 2015 VOLLEYBALL SNRS SWU VS USJR WOMENS CHAMPIONSHIP/OCT.18,2015:Sheena Abegael Quiño of SWU Lady Cobras goes for a spike against Ana Aldave no.2 and Jessa Marie Jorquila no.8 of USJR Lady Panthers during their game in CESAFI 2015 Championship at USC gym.SWU win the game.(CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
In the distaff side, SWU Lady Cobras survived a late-scare from the University of San Jose-Recoletos Lady Jaguars (USJ-R) to win the title anew.
Head coach Jordan Paca said experience was the team’s X-Factor this tournament.
“Experience played a role in our win. My players have had exposure in other tournaments like those we played in Luzon and that really helped,” Paca said.
Meanwhile, the only other team to win a title aside from SWU this year is the USJ-R Baby Jaguars, which topped the boys’ division dethroning last year’s champions USC Baby Warriors, 25-21, 25-20.