College of Saint Benilde is back in the finals after picking up their ninth straight win this year at the expense of Jose Rizal University, 25-10, 25-21, 25-13, in Season 98 National Collegiate Athletic Association women’s volleyball tournament yesterday at the San Andres Sports Complex.

With the Lady Blazers sweeping the country’s oldest collegiate league for the second straight season, the semifinals will once again be in a stepladder format where the third and fourth seeds will duke it out in a knockout game to face the second seed.

The survivor of the stepladder semifinals will face the Lady Balzers in a best-of-three championship starting 11 April at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

Season 97 Finals Most Valuable Player Gayle Pascual led Saint Benilde with 16 points as the Taft-based squad guns for its second straight championship.

Earlier, University of Perpetual Help secured the second seed with a 25-16, 25-19, 25-17 sweep over Mapua University.

Mary Rhose Dapol and rookie Shaila Omipon scored 13 points each as the Lady Altas, who ended the elimination round with an 8-1 win-loss record, return to playoffs action after four years.

The win by Perpetual Help sent Lyceum of the Philippines University to the third seed despite having an identical 6-3 card with the Lady Cardinals, who wound up at fourth.