Letran wrote a stirring new chapter in its volleyball history on Friday, ending College of St. Benilde’s reign and completing a long-awaited return to the top of NCAA women’s volleyball.
In a Finals decider packed with momentum swings, grit, and championship nerve, the Lady Knights outlasted the Lady Blazers, 15-25, 25-17, 26-24, 17-25, 15-12, in Game 3 of the NCAA Season 101 women’s volleyball Finals at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The victory did more than deliver a title. It ended Benilde’s bid for a fifth straight championship and handed Letran its first women’s volleyball crown since 1998, completing a remarkable rise built on belief, resilience, and composure under pressure.
For Letran head coach Mayeth Carolino, the triumph carried special meaning. Nearly three decades after helping the school win its last title as a player in Season 74, she returned to guide the Lady Knights back to the summit, turning a personal milestone into a defining moment for the program.
Carolino said the championship was something the team had prayed and worked for from the very start, and she credited her players for embracing the challenge and making history for the school.
Letran’s breakthrough did not come easily. After dropping the opening set, the Lady Knights reset quickly and responded with authority in the second. They then seized control of the pivotal third set, surviving a tense exchange that proved crucial in swinging the match their way. Benilde, refusing to surrender its throne without a fight, answered in the fourth to force a winner-take-all fifth set.
That final frame became a test of resolve.
With the score tied at 12-all and the pressure at its peak, Letran found its sharpest form. Vanessa Sarie delivered a timely crosscourt hit to put the Lady Knights back in front, before Verenicce Colendra and Joralyn Panangin hammered down the finishing blows that sparked celebration on the Letran side.
Colendra powered the attack with 23 points, while Sarie added 19 in a performance that underscored Letran’s ability to deliver in the biggest moments. Gia Maquilang turned in one of the most complete performances of the night, producing a triple-double of 17 points, 17 receptions, and 13 digs to anchor the Lady Knights on both ends of the floor.
Finals Most Valuable Player Judiel Nitura, whose earlier performances helped put Letran in position to win the series, contributed eight points in the clincher. Though not her highest-scoring game of the Finals, her steady presence once again proved valuable in the team’s title charge. Nitura said the players’ trust in their coaches carried them through the series and made the breakthrough possible.
Benilde, meanwhile, bowed out with the heart of a champion. Season MVP Zam Nolasco unleashed 27 points in a valiant effort to extend the dynasty, while Clydel Catarig and Shekainah Lleses added 17 and 12, respectively. But after years of dominance, the Lady Blazers finally met a team ready to take the crown from them.
And Letran did exactly that.
After 28 years of waiting, the Lady Knights are champions again—this time not just by reviving a proud tradition, but by ending one of the NCAA’s most formidable title runs and proving that a new era has arrived.
