MANILA -- College of St. Benilde survived a five-set gauntlet against Letran to stay perfect in the Batangas leg of the 2025 Shakey's Super League (SSL) National Invitationals, Saturday.
The Lady Blazers turned back a gutsy Letran squad, 27-29, 25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 15-8, at the University of Batangas Millennium Gym to improve to 2-0 in the competition.
The four-time defending NCAA champions received a reprimand from head coach Jerry Yee after a meltdown in the fourth set, fueling their dominant showing in the deciding frame.
Shahanna Lleses took over at crunch time, scoring four of her team-high 19 points in the fifth frame for CSB, which once again stamped its class over the same squad it defeated in the last two NCAA finals.
READ: St. Benilde makes quick work of University of Batangas
Zam Nolasco added 16 markers while Clydel Catarig added 13 points for the Lady Blazers.
CSB unleashed a crucial 7-1 run to turn a tight 4-4 start of the fifth set into an 11-5 Lady Blazers advantage, punctuated by a Lleses kill. The Lady Blazers kept their distance the rest of the way to emerge on top of the two-hour, 27-minute encounter.
College of Saint Benilde celebrates a point against Letran in the SSL National Invitationals, August 30, 2025 at the University of Batangas Millennium Gym in Batangas City. Handout/SSL
"Yung ginawa lang po namin is in-game adjustments. Kung ano ang kulang sa amin yun ang pinupunan namin," Catarig said. "Papasok sa fifth set pinag-usapan namin na tapusin na natin ito and may game pa rin bukas para makapahinga pa."
The Lady Blazers, who finished third last year, will shoot for a breakthrough crown and sweep of the last stop of the three-leg tournament against Far Eastern University on Sunday.
CSB threw away a golden opportunity to finish the game in the fourth set after allowing the Lady Knights to recover from a 23-22 deficit. Letran's Natalie Estreller tied it at 23 before the Lady Blazers had a reception miscue, followed by an overreceive by libero Jessa Dorog that Leonilyn Padilla took advantage of to score an easy dink to force a fifth set.
Judiel Nitura saw her 25 points, all coming from kills, come to naught as the Lady Knights fell to a 0-2 slate.
Sheena Sarie and Nizelle Martin scored 17 markers each while Padilla added 11 for Letran.
The Lady Knights take on University of Batangas in their final match in the tournament, which has Asics, Mikasa, Smart Sports, F2 Logistics, Team Rebel Sports, Belo Deo, SM Tickets and PusoP.com as technical partners.
Letran buried CSB, 24-20, in the opening frame but wasted six set point advantages and even went behind, 26-27, after a Nolasco hit. Sarie knotted it at 27 before the Lady Knights regained the lead following a Che Basarte attack error.
Jade Isar won the frame for Letran with a solid kill block over Rhea Densing.
The Lady Blazers recovered lost ground in the second set but not after surviving another tight race to the finish. CSB shattered a 20-20 deadlock with a closing 5-2 run for the match equalizer.
It was more of the same in the third frame as the Lady Blazers whipped up a 4-1 finishing kick to break a 21-21 tie for a 2-1 match advantage.