After reigning as the league’s dominant champions for three-straight seasons beginning in UAAP 73, the DLSU Lady Spikers suffered a major upset as they lost to their fierce archrivals, the ADMU Lady Eagles. Ateneo overcame La Salle’s thrice-to-beat advantage and ousted DLSU in straight sets today, March 15, at the Mall of Asia Arena in their winner-take-all Game Four of the UAAP Women’s Volleyball Finals, 25-23, 26-24, 25-21.
With the victory, the Lady Eagles ended the Lady Spikers’ bid for a fourth-straight title and won their very first UAAP Women’s Volleyball championship in league history. UAAP 76 MVP Alyssa Valdez was hailed as the Finals MVP after she led her team with 21 points from 18 attacks, two blocks and a service ace.
An early struggle
La Salle’s lack of coverage in the first set gave an early three-point advantage to the Lady Eagles at 4-1. The Lady Spikers then rallied back and scored three straight points to tie the set at 4-all. The Lady Eagles sought the forces of team captain Valdez and Amy Ahomiro to take back a 10-7 lead. The Taft-based Lady Spikers continued to stay behind the Lady Eagles by as much as five points, but attacks from Ara Galang coupled with an error from Valdez trimmed Ateneo’s lead to just two, 15-13. Galang contributed 11 points for the match and was the only Lady Spiker to score in double digits.
The Lady Spikers played steadily and utilized their blocking to stay close behind Ateneo. With an error from Marge Tejada, La Salle was able to tie the set at 17-all. However, the lead shifted back to the Lady Eagles late in the set, 23-21, and it later led to set-point courtesy of a service ace from Ella De Jesus. The Lady Spikers still tried to catch up and cut the lead to a point at 24-23 but a soft hit from Valdez finally sealed the set in favor of Ateneo, 25-23.
A great setback
DLSU responded from the first setback with urgency as they raced to an early 6-2 lead with superior net defense from Mika Reyes. The volleybelles from Katipunan responded with a flurry of on-target spikes to forge an eight-all draw. The Lady Spikers would pull away in the middle of the set, establishing their biggest lead at seven points and looked to have the set for their taking. ADMU rallied back to forge a deadlock at 24-all via a 14-7 difference in spikes. La Salle’s offense froze as their counterparts would steal the set, 26-24.
It was a neck and neck start in the third set, with neither team giving an edge to each other. After a timeout called by Ateneo, La Salle started to wane as they allowed Ateneo a pivotal scoring barrage, giving them a 17-10 lead before another timeout by DLSU was called. A final run by the Lady Spikers put them within four, but Ateneo quickly prevailed, 25-21, to end the series.
DLSU team captain Abigail Marano played in her last match as a Lady Spiker, capping off a successful run which includes three championships, two runner-up finishes, and two MVP awards. Marano’s departure will leave a gaping hole in this team, but Galang and Reyes are expected to step into Marano’s leadership role next season.
6 replies on “UAAP Finals: ADMU snaps Lady Spikers’ championship reign”
kasalanan to nila:
Coach Ramil: lagi akong nanunuod ng training nila, and nakikita ko ung lack of action niya everytime may pangit ung reception ng libero niya which is the time to correct it. Kitang kita naman na ang problema ng lasalle is ung reception nila.
Kim Fajardo: Wala siyang variation, puro nalang open. Di porket rookie ung utility mo di mo na bibigyan. Just like in the case of morado-morente. Pano magiging veteran ung kakampi mo kung di mo bibigyan ng momentum. Ibibigay mo sa utility pag patapon na ung set? Pag nasa side niya ung mga blocker? Magaling si cheng e, nakikita ko sa practice nila, pero pag patapon na ung set tapos nasa side niya lahat ng blocker wla ka nang magagawa dun. Maganda sana magset e, wala lang diskarte. Mas ok pa si Mika Esperanza e, kahit mabagal ung game play niya, atleast may variety. Take note na one of the vital position is the utility position wherein si gumabao ung player the previous year. Lastly, ung position niya pag nagseset, nasa rightmost part siya ng court, pano ka makakaset ng quick kung nandun ka? kaya walang matinong set sa middle e. Ang setter eng unang binabantayan ng middle blocker incase magddrop, so nasa rightmost part ka tapos sinet mo sa utility position wala nang way ung utility spiker pumalo at madali pang makakaposisyon ung middle blocker para bantayan ung utility spiker.
these are technical comments regarding their game play.
Yeah. If this is possible DLSU must get an Esperanza-Fajardo hybrid right now since both setters possess something that is really vital for their campaign should they venge ADMU’s triumphant come-from-behind encounters against them. Also to point out, statistically and even when I watched all those four games. I found out that Macandili is a good receiver, not as great when she’s going to be compared to how Ella de Jesus (Valdez’ diagonal, ADMU Open Hitter) flourished her opposition’s serve and spikes with excellent receptions and digs, and Cienne is a GREAT libero, despite her RECEIVING INCONSISTENCIES sometimes. It’s really more than the breaks of the game that made ADMU win the game. And now the bruised archers will have to dig down within themselves to solve this ADMU enigma. They have the pieces to crank it all up, don’t get me wrong. They were honestly the best team on paper, even if you won’t look at the team standings, just the mere fact that the DLSU roster is always on a full-throttle year after year. They should make Baron their project, should they want to somehow gradually fill in Abi’s departure (Something that they’ll really miss), not by being the vocal leader of course, but start first from involving her on set plays. She is gonna bring out a make-or-break situation for DLSU, since the recruitment for middle hitters is definitely tight. And if I’m the coach (Don’t be too harsh on me) I’ll make do FIRST on that what I have still in my bag. 3-Peat is still an insane feat in itself. And if DLSU really lives up to the cliche’ “Everything happens is according to God’s will,” they’ve gotta act like they really do.
Sorry DLSU if I’m being ‘harsh’ to you. It’s just that you were THE FAVORED TEAM in the series. And being able to be dethroned by an upstart was just anti-climatic for you after that closely-contested Game Three of the Final Dance.
Kasalanan ng Taeneo at Coach Tae ito. Dahil mas pinag mukha pang mas ebak at tae ang DLSU wvt at si Coach “boses ewan” Ramil sa serye. kasalanan din ninyong lahat lasalista ito. Masyado na kayong yumabang at di na ninyo binigyan respeto ang ATENEO!
OBHF = One big (Happy) Fight!
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áëàãîäàðñòâóþ!
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ñïàñèáî!!