By LA B. Diaz

BLOCKS LIKE A WALL: In frame shows the great defense in the middle of the CNM court where Daniel Mariano and Enjell Encabo (CNM players) aim to block the spike of Mark Angelo Cauilan (CRIM).

Spicing up the third day of this year’s Sportsfest was the close match on the Men’s Volleyball Championship game played between the College of Nursing and Midwifery (CNM) and the College of Criminology (CRIM), 3-1 (30-28, 23-25, 25-17, 25-13), likewise to the match played between the Senior High School (SHS) and College of Nursing and Midwifery (CNM), 3-1 (17-25, 25-22, 25-21, 28-26) in the Women’s Volleyball Championship game held at Our Lady of the Pillar College – Cauayan Volleyball Court 1 and Court 2.  

With the scorching sun, the athletes coming from the CNM and CRIM were at their peak on securing every point against each other as they put an eye on the ball and every open spaces in the court. CNM headed by Mave Rick Capuchino and CRIM headed by Mark Angelo Cauilan had a long rally during the first set which made the adrenaline extended through their spectators and left a 2-point margin after a 5-time deuce, 30-28. As CNM took the lead, the spikers of CRIM pushed their limits even with the block of Ryan Jaye De Guzman of CNM which made the score 1-1 during the second set. However, through the strategy applied by CNM, the team won the two succeeding sets with a wide margin for the CRIM to withstand.

Sensing a sudden death, the SHS made the ball dance on both sides of the court to counter the advancement of CNM during the first set in the Women’s Volleyball Championship game. SHS spiker Nicole Valerie Ciriaco blasted the alternating set and spike of Reden Felebrico and Jewel Tallano and the collective defense of CNM made the score 1-1 during the second set and switched the momentum of the game now in favor of the SHS, which remained consistent on the third and fourth set, 3-1.

“Nursing Volleyball Team struggled a lot especially during preparation because of their conflicting schedules in terms of their hospital duties and academics. They only had limited practices as one team, but, fueled with their determination and eagerness to win this event, they managed to enter the Volleyball Championship game in both divisions – men, and women – and even captured the title of becoming this year’s Champion in Volleyball Men and 1^st Runner Up for Volleyball Women. Congratulations to my athletes and the other departments as well,” Kenneth George T. Cortez, the Coach of CNM Volleyball Team, happily said after the game. Also, Franzielyn Dalupang, the Captain Ball of the SHS Volleyball Team for Women, said that their team was happy and proud of Nicole Valerie Ciriaco who became the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the women’s division.

After the end-of-game command of the Referee 1, the crowd went wild and the winning teams had their celebration inside the court. CNM was known to be the Champion followed by the CRIM as the 1^st Runner Up and the merged College of Business Administration and College of Hospitality Management (CBAHM) as the 2^nd Runner Up for the men’s division. In the women’s division, the SHS won and became the Champion followed by the CNM as the 1^st Runner Up and the CRIM as the 2^nd Runner Up. Along with the awarding was the recognition of the MVPs for this year’s Sportsfest 2022 Volleyball Game given to Mave Rick A. Capuchino of CNM and Nicole Valerie M. Ciriaco of SHS who both received a trophy and a gold medal.