College of Saint Benilde (CSB) has just made a major move in the NCAA men's volleyball tournament by acquiring the services of former National University (NU) middle blocker John Vic Estrada. The 6-foot-3 Estrada, who will sit out for one-year residency, is expected to bring his skills and experience to the Benilde Blazers in their bid for a title in NCAA Season 101.
Estrada, who trained with the UAAP champion NU for three years, expressed his excitement and gratitude to CSB for giving him the opportunity to play in the NCAA. "The sacrifice I made to move out from Quezon and here to Manila was all because of my dream to play in a collegiate league with a higher level of training program. Now that Benilde gave me their trust in the NCAA, I will continue to work hard and carry everything that I learned," he said.
The addition of Estrada to the Benilde Blazers is seen as a major boost to the team, which failed to reach the Final Four in NCAA Season 99, finishing fifth with a 9-4 win-loss card. Estrada's motivation to join Benilde was partly due to the team's icon, John Vic De Guzman, who led the team to its only title in Season 92. De Guzman, who also took the Most Valuable Player plum, is an inspiration to Estrada, who plans to carve out his own legacy with the "JV" initials.
De Guzman, who had the opportunity to talk to Estrada, sees a lot of potential in the young player. "Aside from us having the same name, I can see the potential and the hard work of the kid. We are both far away from our families when we were both starting, and I told him that he needs to work really hard," De Guzman said. With Estrada on board, the Benilde Blazers are looking to make a strong push for the title in the upcoming NCAA Season 101.