New Lifers Complete Historic Six-Peat in PCYAA Season 13 Volleyball

MGC New Life Christian Academy’s (MGCNLCA) 18-Under volleyball team achieved a remarkable six-peat with a straight-sets victory over Hope Christian High School (HCHS) last March 21, capturing the Philippine Ching Yuen Athletic Association (PCYAA) Season 13 championship and etching its name deeper into league history. 

Over the past nine years, the New Lifers have built a reputation as the team to beat in PCYAA volleyball, establishing themselves as a constant presence at the top of the league. The program’s rise began with three consecutive championships from 2017 to 2019, starting with the “Fab 5”— seniors Abigail Lim, Jian Aurora Tan, Patti Eunyce Diño, Colleen Co, and Kim Denyse Hao Lin – who claimed the New Lifers’ first title in 2017, the league’s inaugural season, followed by teams led by captains Alyssa Michelle Ty in 2018 and Chauntelle Chan in 2019. Apart from the pandemic-interrupted seasons from 2020 to 2023, MGCNLCA has maintained its grip on the crown, building a run defined not just by wins, but by sustained excellence.

Season 11

After four years of halted competition due to the pandemic, the PCYAA returned in 2024—and with it, a new chapter for MGCNLCA. With a completely new lineup shaped by the long break, the New Lifers entered the season looking to secure a fourth straight championship under team captain Angeline Stephanie Tan and the new head coach Justine Dorog, formerly of the UP Women’s Volleyball Team.

Though relatively untested, the team quickly settled into its system, sweeping through the eliminations and carrying that same control into the playoffs. In the semifinals, the New Lifers dispatched Saint Jude Catholic School in straight sets, 25–11, 25–19, 25–20, to book another Finals appearance.

There, they were met once again by a familiar rival, Jubilee Christian Academy (JCA)—a matchup that has defined the Finals since Season 4. MGCNLCA took Game 1 in convincing fashion, 25–11, 25–23, 25–16, before closing out the series in Game 2, 25–21, 27–25, 25–14.

With a new core and a new system, the New Lifers showed that the standard had not changed—as seniors Tan and Jiann Adrielle Yaokasin capped their final season with a championship.

Season 12

With the crown still on their side, the New Lifers entered the season led by team captain Aisha Lauren Reyes and head coach Dorog.

They swept through the tournament with the same intensity that had defined their previous runs, dispatching Pace Academy in the semifinals in straight sets, 25–16, 25–14, 25–15, to secure yet another Finals appearance.

MGCNLCA took Game 1 in four sets, 25–19, 25–15, 21–25, 25–16. Even with a momentary setback as the team’s opposite hitter, Sofia Caylen Cordova, dealt with cramps mid-match, the New Lifers held their ground and closed the match on their terms. 

They entered Game 2 with the same steadiness, leaving little room for doubt as they swept JCA, 25–16, 25–14, 25–15, to secure another championship.

Reyes and Cordova were both named to the Mythical 6, recognizing their key roles throughout the season.

The season also marked the final run for Reyes, Petrice Elizah Lim, Kate Cua, Annika Kaitlynn Chong, Jadyn Paulin Pin, and Maxine Ryan Chan, a core that had become central to the New Lifers’ sustained success. With their departure, MGCNL closed another chapter in its championship run.

Season 13

Following a shift in the roster brought about by the departure of key seniors, MGCNLCA entered Season 13 with a younger and relatively untested lineup, averaging just 14 years old. The transition was made even more challenging by the unexpected absence of one of the team’s key players prior to the start of the season, forcing the New Lifers to adjust early as developing players stepped into larger roles.

The seasons saw early difficulties, with co-captain Cordova being sidelined for the first few games due to injury, requiring further adjustments to the lineup. The New Lifers opened their campaign with an unfamiliar setback, dropping their first set of the tournament against HCHS. However, they bounced back almost immediately, taking the next three sets, 23–25, 25–16, 25–20, 25–15.

From there, MGCNLCA carried that momentum through the rest of the eliminations, sweeping all succeeding matches. 

In the semifinals, the New Lifers secured a straight-sets win over JCA 25–20, 25–15, 25–17.

For the first time in PCYAA history, the New Lifers advanced to the Finals without JCA across the net. Instead, they faced HCHS—the same team that had handed them their first set loss earlier in the tournament.

This time, however, the outcome was firmly in their hands. Led by team captain Peach Oribelle Diño, MGCNLCA left little room for doubt in the championship series, taking Game 1 in straight sets, 25–13, 25–11, 25–19, before closing out Game 2, 25–10, 25–21, 25–18, to secure the title.

Seniors Diño and Cordova were both named to the Mythical Six, with Diño earning Finals Most Valuable Player honors and Cordova recognized as the season’s Most Valuable Player. 

The six-peat not only affirms the New Lifers’ place at the top of the league, but also extends a remarkable run, as MGCNLCA has not lost a single game since the league’s inception in 2017.