EYES ON THE PRIZE: Lethal Arachnids Face First Loss in Men’s VBall Semifinals

by Andrea Ross Sedero

The CASS Lethal Arachnids suffered a crushing blow as the COE Flaming Dragons dominated them in a 2-0 match during the PALAKASAN semi finals for Men’s Volleyball on April 20 at the IDS Multi-Purpose Hall.


The first set ignited in a blaze of intensity as both teams fiercely contested every point, each refusing to yield to the other. However, in a decisive turn of events, the Flaming Dragons managed to pull ahead, securing the match point and clinching the set with a score of 25-23 over the Lethal Arachnids.


As the second set unfolded, CASS’ initial vigor began to wane. Despite initially securing a four-point lead, three of those points were a result of COE’s own errors. The momentum shifted when the Dragons surged ahead, leveling the score at 9-9. From that moment, the Arachnids struggled to keep pace, stagnating at 10 points while the opposing team steadily widened their lead, resulting in a wide deficit. Despite their efforts to rally, the match ultimately concluded with a score of 25-16, in favor of the COE Flaming Dragons.


“I personally did not expect that they [would] perform na lacking jud sa first ball kaganiha because that was not part of our training. Grabe jud amoang drills when it comes to defense and patterns pero kaganiha, mura sila’g na pressure, nakulbaan, scared to commit error na murag mo circulate nalang ang error permi sa ilahang mind so murag makalimot na silag bawi and di na sila kaexecute proper[ly],” Assistant Coach Manuel Leonor of the Arachnids’ Men’s Volleyball team remarked in an interview with CASSayuran.


He also expressed the need for improved communication within the team during future games and emphasized that they will continue training intensively to prepare for their upcoming match against CED this Wednesday, April 24.


“We expect them to deliver a high-intensity game, especially sa first ball na kailangan nila bawion. Kinahanglan pa gyud ifirm ang blockings inside the court, communication, especially ang service. Based from [the] earlier game, ma observe namo nga mag error ang pikas team, moaccumulate sad diri sa pikas. It’s like exchanging of errors lang ba. It depends talaga sa player pag naa sila sa court, maturity and experience ang kanilang kailangan,” The assistant coach added, referring to the aspects they will be focusing on making up for.


In the same interview, Head Coach Luigi Almodiel also voiced his concern regarding possible complacency among the team following their flawless 2-0 record prior to the semifinals game. He stressed the urgency of eliminating this mindset, particularly as they approach the match against CED where they will be vying for the chance to play in the Finals. Almodiel expressed his hope that the team will have shed any sense of complacency by then, recognizing the significance of the upcoming game on Wednesday.


“We will not really be promising anything but of course since as a team, double sad amoang effort when it comes to reaching the finals this year kay atoang Women’s Volleyball team sayo nahuman ilahang journey kaya double amoang inspiration to go for Finals para sa girls din nato sa CASS,” Head Coach Luigi underscored.