San Beda University-Taytay reigned supreme in the first-ever Echelon U16 Club Invitational, defeating Kaito Volleyball Academy, 25-13, in the championship game to complete a tournament sweep on Saturday at the SM Southmall Events Hall in Las Piñas City.
The Baby Red Spikers went unbeaten in 11 games, including four in the first round, five in the second round, a semifinal victory over PLDT (25-12), and the title match.
It was total domination for San Beda, which posted an average winning margin of 12.0 points in the tournament presented by Everyday Volleyball and supported by the City of Parañaque, Milo, Immuni+, McDonald’s, Rexona, Magnus Sports, Toby’s Sports, AveoWorks Solutions Inc. and Mama Lou’s.
“I’m just very happy with the girls. Again, they showed discipline, they showed grit, and their willingness to win. Still a lot of things to be done, but this is a great start,” Baby Red Spikers head coach Ray Rosales said.
Holding just a five-point lead midway through the gold medal match, eventual Finals Most Valuable Player Louise Pinaroc and Aaliyah Victorino took control as San Beda closed out the game with an 11-4 finishing run to claim the inaugural Echelon U16 crown along with P40,000 and other prizes from sponsors.
KAVA, which finished third after the eliminations, settled for the silver medal but still delivered a strong campaign, highlighted by a 26-24 upset over second seed Parañaque Volleyball Team in the semifinals.
The Lady Green Berets forced a 24-all deadlock after a five-point run, but Julia Tan’s crosscourt hit followed by Sheilla Yeung’s down-the-line hammer sealed KAVA’s place in the championship match.
PLDT upstart Shaniah Rubio stood out among the nine-team field, emerging as the first-ever Echelon U16 MVP.
Victorino and KAVA’s Niña Abad were named Best Spikers, while Parañaque’s Georgina Declaro and PLDT’s PJ Blanza were hailed as Best Liberos. San Beda’s Pinaroc was also recognized as Best Setter.
