Altas go for historic sweep of NCAA volleyball

MANILA, Philippines – University of Perpetual Help System Dalta will try to write history as it seeks to sweep the women’s, men’s and juniors’ titles in the 94th NCAA volleyball tournament.

The Lady Altas eked out a thrilling, come-from-behind 25-17, 27-29, 19-25, 26-24, 16-14 victory over the College of St. Benilde Lady Blazers Tuesday night at the Filoil Flying V Centre to join the Altas and Junior Altas to the finals.

UPHSD will thus have a chance to sweep all the titles in the three divisions in one season and become the third school to achieve such feat.

Ateneo de Manila, a former league member which is now in the UAAP, did it once in 1976 while San Sebastian accomplished it five times in 1984, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 2002.

UPHSD tackles defending champion Arellano University in the women’s section, faces CSB in the men’s side and clashes with Letran in the juniors’ class in a best-of-three series starting Friday.

Game Two is on February 8 while a deciding Game Three, if necessary, is on February 12.

“We just want to preserve the tradition in excelling in NCAA volleyball and make our Perpetual Help officials and supporters proud,” said UPHSD athletic director Sammy Acaylar, who also coaches the men’s squad.

UPHSD’s men’s and juniors’ teams made it to the finals first by pulling off a pair of nine-game elimination round sweeps.

The Altas are gunning for their second straight title, seventh in the last nine seasons and 12th overall while the Lady Altas, for their part, are eyeing their fourth title after snaring a three-peat feat in 2011 to 2014.

The Junior Altas, meanwhile, are aiming for their fifth crown in row and 11th overall.

It was the Lady Altas, however, who provided the most drama as it needed two Final Four wins over the top-seeded Lady Blazers, including the second one when the former rallied from a set to two deficit and an 11-22 disadvantage in the fourth set to gatecrash into the finals.