FRIARS REMAIN CONTENDERS, DROP TITANS

By Charlotte Oh

The Father Duenas Friars had the upper hand over the Tiyan Titans on Tuesday night. Battling in a sweltering Tiyan gym, the Friars displayed exceptional skill and determination to secure the win in four sets: 25-27, 25-20, 25-18, 25-19. 

FD’s offense was led by their senior captain David Del Carmen who contributed 13 kills. Antoni Egurrola and Saul Bamba added 11 and nine kills, respectively. 

The Friars won their fifth straight, while ending the Titans’ 3-game win streak.

Set 1

The game began with the two teams attempting to find their rhythm, marked by small mistakes from both sides. The Friars held a narrow 10-9 lead with Del Carmen, Egurrola, and Bamba hammering away at the net. However, missed serves and a resilient Titan team kept the score tied at 21-21. The two teams fought to gain a lead, but were left with a nerve-wracking score of 25-25. Tiyan’s Skyler Blas stepped up towards the end of the set with explosive hits while teammate Nathan Aguigui anchored the back row, playing clean defense. Blas ended the night as the lead offense for his team with 16 kills. After much effort, the Titans captured the crucial first set with a score of 27-25.

Egurrola, a sophomore, noted this loss in the first set, “It was a good win, but we struggled in the first set for sure. But I think our coach Alvin really stepped up this game.” Del Carmen added, “We were hungry to dominate from then.” 

Set 2

The exciting points continued in the second set as both teams worked tirelessly to perform. Tiyan struggled in communication as opposed to the the last set, but were still able to keep it close against the Friars. Tied at 14-14, FD called a time out to gather composure and hopefully gain a lead. Not until much further into the set were the Friars finally able to pull away from the Titans. Friar middle Egurrola swung fast at quick sets and overpasses, followed by an ace by Del Carmen to gain a 24-20 lead. 

“After the first set, our passing got better. The sets were there and the hits were there too,” Egurrola shared. “It was definitely communication. Communication amongst each other.” To finish the set, Friar Bamba smashed an outside hit, ending the set at 25-20. 

Set 3

Coming off from the second set win, the Friars carried the momentum into the third to take an 8-2 lead. The Titans appeared frustrated as their teamwork faltered with disconnected sets and balls dropped to the floor. FD dominated at the net, crushing the ball past the Tiyan blockers. Not willing to give up, Titan Aguigui displayed eagerness by smashing his own kills at the net while libero Ignacio Meno held his ground on the defensive side, attempting to boost his team’s energy. Despite the effort, the Friars remained unfazed as they took the third set with confidence, 25-18. 

Set 4

The Titans, determined to push the game to a fifth set, kept the score close, trailing by one point at 9-8. However, with FD setter Steffen Surban providing accurate sets straight to his hitters and consistent topspin serves, the Friars pulled far away to 16-8 and never looked back. Errogula gives credit to the playmaker, “Our setters executed very well.” From then on the Friars maintained their lead, securing the last set with a score of 25-19.

As the season progresses, the Friars are looking to improve and stay focused. Errogula shared his team’s focus, “We’re always improving, but one thing that we need to work on is our blocks and just staying dominant at the net.”

In the JV game, the Friars won a three-set thriller with a score of 20-25, 25-16, 26-24.

TUESDAY GAMES

FD def. Tiyan 25-27, 25-20, 25-18, 25-19

Harvest def. Southern 25-21, 25-16, 25-10

JFK def. St. Paul 25-22, 25-18, 25-13

St. John’s def. Okkodo 25-18, 25-21, 25-18

Notre Dame def. Guam High 25-19, 25-19, 21-25, 25-10

Sanchez def. GACS 25-6, 25-18, 25-12

GW def. GAA 25-17, 21-25, 25-17, 25-22