MGCNLCA 14U Crowned FCAAF Champions
The MGCNLCA volleyball team nailed a perfect season, sweeping the Filipino-Chinese Amateur Athletic Federation (FCAAF) 14U volleyball tournament and securing the championship title after a 3-0 win against Makati Hope Christian School (MHCS) in the finals game held last March 17 at Xavier School in San Juan.
Team captain Andrea Reyes and captain ball Annika Tan, under Coach Manilla Ng’s and Coach Carmela Garbin’s guidance, spearheaded the team's triumph through the finals as they marked a flawless record of eight wins with zero losses.
Semi-Finals
The New Lifers advanced to the finals after a straight-set win, 25-14, 25-18, and 25-10 in the semi-finals against Immaculate Conception Academy (ICA) last March 10.
Reyes received the Player of the Game award in the semifinal match, where her controlled receives and accurate spikes were pivotal in lifting the New Lifers to victory.
“For me, our ICA game was good. Even if we had many errors and miscommunications, we still did our best and, by God’s grace, we were able to win and advance to the finals,” commented Reyes.
Another player of the volleyball varsity noted that ICA had played better matches against MGCNL in past games, as they seemed to be “tired by the time the game started.”
Although the rallies of the match were strong, especially when ICA tallied a closer score in the second set, the stronger communication of MGCNL ultimately prevailed, as seen in their three straight-set sweep.
“I learned that volleyball is a team sport so everyone has to (really) do their part,” said Anya Chong when asked what lessons she would carry over to the finals. “If there are just two players that aren't performing well or if there are others who don’t put in effort, the game won’t end well.”
Finals
The New Lifers clinched the title after a hard-fought three sets, 25-14, 25-16, 30-28, against MHCS.
“Our biggest strengths are our services and endurance. We are able to keep our energy and spirit up until the very end. We are a young team composed of many elementary players, which could have affected our level of experience,” shared Tan.
The first two sets of the championship match were smooth sailing for the New Lifers, as they dominated MHCS with scores of 25-14 and 25-16.
In a sudden turn of events, MHCS ran on a 4-0 lead at the start of the third set, until an error halted their momentum. Tan’s service then leveled the score at 4-4.
After numerous exchanges between both teams, the score settled at 23-19 before Reyes narrowed the deficit down to 23-22 through her service aces. MHCS fiercely contested MGCNL and brought the game to match point after a powerful attack.
The girls in green extended the match to cut the score to 24-23. After multiple exchanges between the two teams, MGCNL finally claimed the win after an attack error of the opposing team to close the game with a score of 28-30.
This wasn’t the New Lifers’ first championship win in a sports league, as they had previously won the Philippine Ching Yuen Athletic Association (PCYAA) League back in December 2023.
“This (league) has definitely been a bit more challenging as there are more teams, and they are all very competitive. We experienced many good and bad plays. Our finals game was definitely a lot more challenging compared to our Ching Yuen finals which really gave us more exposure,” team captain Reyes stated.