Experience delivers in the clutch, propels Cardinals past Stags in 4 sets

When the match was hanging in the balance, old was indeed gold.

Veterans Raissa Ricablanca, Freighanne Garcia, and Nicole Ong proved that experience matters in crunch time as they led Mapúa University past San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 21-25, 25-22, 25-14, 25-19, in the NCAA Season 101 women’s volleyball tournament Tuesday at the San Andres Sports Complex.

After dropping the opening set, the Lady Cardinals regrouped and tightened their floor and net defense, anchored by the towering Ong, who tallied five blocks to swing the momentum back in Mapúa’s favor.

Garcia spearheaded the Lady Cardinals’ attack with an all-around effort of 16 points and 10 digs, while Ricablanca capitalized on San Sebastian’s defensive lapses to post a game-high 18 points.

San Sebastian attempted to mount a comeback in the fourth set behind Tina Marasigan, grabbing a slim 15-13 lead, but Mapúa’s composure prevailed. Ong ignited a key rally that led to a decisive run, capped by back-to-back kills from Garcia.

With the win, Mapúa bounced back from an opening-game loss to improve to 1-1, drawing level with San Sebastian in the standings.