UAAP: Lady Spikers outhustle FEU in four sets

The DLSU Lady Spikers bounced back from their five-set loss against Ateneo, with a convincing four-set win against the FEU Lady Tamaraws yesterday, 25-17, 27-29, 25-13, 25-9. It was Ara Galang who led the squad once again after she notched 17 points, alongside Cyd Demecillo’s 13 points.

With the victory, Lady Spikers further solidified their hold of the second place in the women’s volleyball standings, with a 7-1 record.

Meanwhile, topscoring for FEU was Bernadette Pons, who scored 13 points to carry her team in the losing effort.

The opening set started slow for the Lady Spikers as they conceded easy points to FEU. Heading into the first technical time out, La Salle trailed, 8-6, giving the Lady Tamaraws an early opportunity to control the set’s tempo. However, as La Salle’s head coach Ramil de Jesus made the necessary adjustments, the Lady Spikers erected a huge run for the rest of the set. This allowed the Lady Spikers to pull away and seize the first set, 25-17.

The second set was a different story though, as errors on the part of La Salle allowed FEU to keep at bay. With several deadlocks towards the end, the set was extended to reach 27-all after a Mary Joy Baron attack. A crucial error on the part of the Lady Spikers placed FEU at set point, 28-27, and FEU was eventually able to score on the succeeding play to take the second set, 29-27.

The Lady Spikers were determined to control the third set early on. Scoring on almost every play, the Taft-based volleybelles were able to easily pull away with attacks from Galang and Demecillo. The third set eventually became a one-sided affair in favor of DLSU, as it ended with a dominating 25-13 victory.

La Salle made an easy run in the fourth set as well, after dismantling their opponents in the third set. Starting off with an 8-0 run, the Lady Spikers were able to dictate the outcome of the set and the match for good. Despite the valiant scoring efforts of FEU’s Pons, the offensive rhythm carried by Mika Reyes and Carol Cerveza aided the Lady Spikers in clinching the victory. The fourth and final set eventually ended in favor of La Salle, 25-9.

Next up for the Lady Spikers are the UP Lady Maroons whom they will face on Sunday, January 25, 2 pm at The Arena in San Juan City.