The Quezon Tangerines reigned supreme in the 2024 Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA), completing a grand sweep of Biñan Tatak Gel 1-Pacman Partylist with a 25-19, 24-26, 25-18, 25-15 win in Game 2 on Wednesday night at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena.
The Tangerines had an easy way this time around compared to a five-setter escape act in Game 1 and with their home crowd behind capped a magnificent title conquest right in their first season in the MPVA as an expansion squad.
Rhea Mae Densing was named the MPVA Most Valuable Player, capping her coronation with 17 points on 17 hits as Quezon ruled the first home-and-away season of the MPVA founded by former Senator and also MPBL chairman Manny Pacquiao.
Densing fired 22 points in Game 1, where the Tangerines pulled off a 25-19, 23-25, 25-18, 21-25, 17-15 comeback win on the road at the Alonte Sports Arena in Laguna.
Quezon – one of the two expansion franchises along with Valenzuela in the nine-team upstart league – had a stellar 16-2 record in its MPVA debut en route to the sweet title.
Mary Grace Borromeo rifled in a game-high 18 points while Game 1 hero Cristy Ondangan and seasoned spiker Mycah Go added 16 points each to back up Densing in yet another scattered onslaught for Quezon, made up of the championship core of three-peat NCAA champion College of St. Benilde.
MPVA Best Setter Chenae Basarte quarterbacked that potent offense with Densing also earning the Best Opposite Hitter and Ondangan winning the First Best Middle Blocker awards for Quezon.
Wanting no let-up from a massive Game 1 win on the road and especially eyeing no potential winner-take-all Game 3, the Tangerines clicked from all cylinders marked by a 10-point win in the clinching fourth set.
Quezon’s lone defeat was in the extended second set, 24-26, as it dominated the gritty third-ranked Biñan side after its semifinal series upset win against twice-to-beat armed Bacoor.
Erika Jin Deloria, the First Best Outside Hitter, had 18 points while Shane Carmona added 15 for the Volley Angels in a commendable runner-up finish in the MPVA backed by Extreme One-Stop Shop Appliances, ASICS, Mikasa and Gerflor with MPTV and Outcomm as broadcast partners.
Second Best Middle Blocker Zenith Perolino also added 10 points for Biñan that scored 25-21, 26-24, 25-21 and 25-18, 25-18, 25-16 victories against Bacoor in the semis to gain a shot at Quezon.
May Ann Nuique (Best Homegrown Player) of Biñan, Jonah Denise Dolorito (Second Best Outside Hitter) and Angelica Blue Guzman (Best Libero) of bronze medalist Rizal St. Gerrard Charity Foundation were the other individual awardees in the MPVA organized by the Volleyball Masters of the Philippines.
