THE Philippine Merchant Marine School Mariners and the De La Salle-Dasmari?as Lady Patriots frustrated the teams of Rizal Technological University at their own turf yesterday to clinch the men?s and women?s crowns, respectively, of the 16th National Capital Region Athletic Association volleyball tournaments.

The Mariners got big plays from one of their honor students and a tall frontliner as they fended off the Blue Thunders, 21-25, 25-22, 21-25, 5-20, 16-14, in the battle for the men?s plum at the RTU gym in Mandaluyong.

Lanky frontliner April Almaden bagged the tournament?s Most Valuable Player honors with her decisive plays in the final set as the Lady Patriots outplayed the Lady Thunders, 14-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-18, to claim their first crown after placing fourth last season.

Both the Mariners and the Lady Patriots came away with 2-0 sweeps in their best-of-three finals series with RTU in this varsity spikefest backed by Mikasa and Molten Balls, and www.philspike.com.

Ni?o Papa, who graduates with honors at the end of the schoolyear, came up with one of two decisive plays in the final set with Ian Lambusan. Papa, a Customs Administration student, shattered the game?s final deadlock with a kill at the net as the Mariners clinched their first-ever crown since the school joined the league last year.

The 5?10? Lambusan then managed to block a return spike by Al Nasser Biting to pave the way for the Mariners? title triumph with a clinching 16-14 score at the end of their one-hour and 58-minute contest.

?Kinuha na namin. Kung pinagbigyan pa namin, baka makuha pa nila ang Game 3 kasi bilog ang bola. Kaya kahit homecourt nila, pinilit na namin,? said Mariners coach Libay Misicoro.

The 5?8? Almaden pulled the Lady Patriots off a 5-all deadlock with accurate placement shots at the net, allowing the Dasmari?as-based spikers to move ahead, 9-6, in the final set.

?Nag-click ?yung adjustments namin nu?ng second set kaya nakuha namin,? said Lady Patriots coach Darwin Campana, whose plan to put Tiu at the Lady Patriots? weak leftwing paid off after the team lost the first set.

Almaden then joined hands with Jeusel Wensh Tiu and Precious Grace Abano in the latter part of the set as they widened their lead by seven, with Abano?s drop shot handing the Lady Patriots a 23-16 edge. Peter Atencio