The Faculty of Arts and Letters (AB) fell short in its championship bid, bowing to the Faculty of Pharmacy in four sets, 20-25, 21-25, 29-27, 21-25, in the Thomasian Goodwill Games women’s volleyball tournament on Thursday, Nov. 27, at the Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Despite the silver finish, the finals berth ended AB’s medal drought and marked its first podium appearance since 2019.
Former NU Lady Bullpup Trinity Briones carried the Artlets squad with a 34-point explosion, while team captain Nikka Bascao added 14 markers in the losing effort.
10 errors doomed AB in the opening set, as they squandered an 18-14 advantage in the opening frame as Pharmacy closed the set with an 11-2 finishing kick to take the frame, 25-20.
The Pharmacy squad regained rhythm in the second set and built a 16-10 cushion.
Briones’ five-point burst later trimmed the deficit to 19-17, but Pharmacy once again capitalized on AB’s miscues to steal the set, 25-21.
Briones and Bascao kept AB afloat in the third, steering the squad to an 18-12 lead. Pharmacy answered with an 9-2 rally to seize a 21-20 edge.
Briones then took over in the clutch, scoring seven crucial points including a set-clinching service ace to extend the match, 29-27.
Pharmacy tightened its grip in the final frame, surging to a 19-15 advantage.
Briones momentarily halted the 5-0 run with her 30th point of the match, but Pharmacy held steady and fended off AB’s late charge to clinch the championship, 25-21.
Communications sophomore Briones claimed the second best outside hitter award while Political Science junior Bascao secured the best opposite spiker plum.
AB last captured the Thomasian Goodwill women’s volleyball crown in 2012. F
