The Lady Spikers opened Season 75 with a shocking defeat to start the tournament at the bottom of the standings. Since then, the team has astounded fans as the ladies won an impeccable five-set, come-from-behind, victory against their collegiate rivals to top the standings.
The ladies from Green-and-White will open the second round against one of last season’s underdogs, which has remarkably improved, the National University Bulldogs. DLSU will face the latter today, January 19, at the San Juan Arena.
First meeting: Not as close as expected
The two teams met last December 19, 2012; the Lady Spikers cruised to a 25-12, 25-17 and 25-19 win against the Bulldogs. It was a one-sided match that went the way of the Green-and-White squad as Michele Gumabao and Captain Aby Marano scored 10 and 9 points, respectively. Dindin Santiago led the charge for the losing team with 12 markers.
Second round adjustments
The Taft-based squad has consistently showcased a balanced team effort throughout the tournament. The team is famous for its top-class net defense and blocking, which has devastated many rivals, while offense has been left to top scorers like Ara Galang, who is also the league’s tenth best offensive player.
Since the lost to the Lady Spikers, NU has beaten FEU and UP in straight sets to mark the team’s first winning streak in the season. Looking to extend it to a third, the team needs to rely on the services of the second leading scorer of the league, Dindin Santiago, who averages nearly 18 points per contest. Right after her is Myla Pablo who is another offensive contributor; she contributed at least 16 points in the first round. The two scored 17 and 11 points respectively in the team’s win against UP on Saturday.
La Salle’s first five wins of the season were finished in three sets. The ladies’ last game though against Ateneo could have gone either way.
