FRIARS REDEEM LONE LOSS, LOOK FOR 7TH STRAIGHT TITLE

By Charlotte Oh

The Father Duenas Friars are headed to face the Harvest Eagles in the ISA/IIAAG boys volleyball championship game after defeating the Notre Dame Royals in the semifinals Tuesday evening. Playing at their very own Phoenix Center, the Friars battled confidently to emerge victorious in four sets: 25-20, 25-23,19-25, 25-20.

Although both teams had a 12-1 record going into the playoffs, it was the Royals who gave the Friars their singular loss. Coming out for revenge, the Friars were determined to take the win in this crucial match.

The Friars have one the last six IIAAG title dating back to 2019 (with the exception of COVID 2020). They will take on the Harvest Eagles for the title on Thursday. Havest swept the Tiyan Titans in the other semifinals.

“We tried really hard. That loss really made us mad. We just wanted to see them again and just beat them,” said Friar Saul Bamba who contributed 13 kills for his team. His teammate David Del Carmen added another 12 kills and four aces shared, “It was good. We tried really hard and prepared good for them, and it was a crazy game.”

Set 1

The players appeared nervous at the start of this high-stakes match. Missed serves along with hits that landed far outside the lines plagued the rough start on both sides. However, Bamba and Del Carmen started loosening up and playing smart to help the Friars take a 17-13 lead. Their offensive plays switched from hard hits to well placed tips took the Royals by surprise. As the Royals were still trying to find their rhythm, the Friars took the first set, 25-20.

Set 2

The energized Friars hustled on defense, earning them a 5-0 lead in the second set. FD’s setter Kole Guerrero repeatedly sent the ball to the outside, giving Bamba the chance to strike hard. On the Royals’ side, setter Takoda Piper played offensively, sending the ball over on the second touch to confuse his opponents. Piper connected with league MVP Timothy Gumataotao for powerful kills, pushing ND to a narrow 15-14 lead. Points went back and forth between the two teams as the roaring crowd cheered on the players. Feeding off the spectators’ energy, the Friars clinched the tight second set, 25-23.

“It was definitely our energy, the crowd, the people going back at it,” said Del Carmen, crediting the fans for fueling their fire.

Set 3

Refusing to go down quietly, the Royals stormed back in the third set. Fired up with renewed spirit, their hitters swung away while their defense hustled for every point. Libero Davyn Paet received balls with precision, allowing hitters Caleb Pereda and Nicholas Pereda to put pressure at the net. The Royals gained a significant lead while the Friars seemed shaken and unsteady compared to their previous sets. The Friars attempted to close the gap, but it was not enough against the building momentum of the Royals who captured the set, 25-19. 

Despite the setback, Bamba shared that his team was unfazed, “We weren’t nervous, we just knew that we didn’t play as good in that set we loss. We were like let’s just clean it up and we cleaned it up and we got to win.”

Set 4

The Friars regained composure and focus going into the fourth. They quickly took a 14-9 lead, with hitter Jace Aguon adding his own kills to the mix. The Royals briefly surged after a big middle hit, going on a short run to close the gap. Before long, though, the Friars, led by Bamba and Del Carmen, fought hard to take back control of the game once again. “We knew we were gonna win that fourth set,” stated Del Carmen. They finished with confidence to end the night, 25-20. 

The Friars will face the Harvest Eagles 7 pm on Thursday evening at the JFK gym for the championship match.

Preparing for the most important game of the season, Bamba shared his plan, “Always have good energy during the game and just stay positive during the game.” “Study film and bring the energy, that’s it,” added Del Carmen.