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UAAP: Green, Lady Spikers face UE and FEU to open Season 78

As the second half of UAAP Season 78 commences, volleyball players and enthusiasts alike are in for another exciting tournament. Competing teams have rigorously prepared in anticipation for the season, with the DLSU Green Spikers and Lady Spikers pulling out all the stops to improve from their performances last season.

The Green Spikers finished last season’s eliminations at sixth place with a 4-10 win-loss card. Meanwhile, their women counterparts, the Lady Spikers, went and finished with a 12-2 record, losing only to their long time rivals, the ADMU Lady Eagles, in the elimination round and in the finals.

Both teams will open their Season 78 campaign tomorrow, February 3, at the Philsports Arena, with the Green Spikers taking on the UE Red Warriors at 10 am and the Lady Spikers facing the FEU Lady Tamaraws later on at 4 pm.

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Outlasting the Red Warriors

Last year, the Green Spikers beat UE in four sets, 25-15, 22-25, 25-20, 25-22, clinching their second win of the season. Mike Frey led the scoring for La Salle with 16 attacks, followed by Arjay Onia and Cris Dumago, who had 15 and 13 points, respectively. On the other hand, Edward Camposano scored a game-high 22 points for the Red Warriors, while Sidny Molina Jr. added 14 points of his own.

It was the Green Spikers who grabbed the first set. However, the Red Warriors fought back in the following set. Similar to the second set, the third and fourth set saw a close match between the two teams. In the end, it was DLSU who won both sets to defeat UE.

Expected to lead La Salle for their first match of the season are Onia and team captain Raymark Woo, who had both shown great performances in the Spikers’ Turf tournament held last summer. On UE’s side, Camposano and Molina are the players to watch out for.

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Surging past FEU

In their last face off in Season 77, the Lady Spikers routed the Lady Tamaraws in a four-set match, 25-17, 27-29, 25-13, 25-9. It was former team captain Ara Galang who spearheaded the Lady Spikers with 17 points, while Cyd Demecillo added 13 points. For FEU, Bernadeth Pons accumulated a total of 13 points.

DLSU had a slow start in the first set, giving an early lead to FEU, but after a few adjustments, they raced past the Lady Tamaraws and won the set, 25-17. It was a close fight in the second set, one that ended with FEU on top, 29-27. The Lady Spikers took the last two sets with relative ease, cruising to another victory in the end.

In tomorrow’s match, newly appointed team captain Kim Fajardo is expected to step up and lead the pack alongside Mika Reyes, Galang, and MaJoy Baron. Meanwhile, for FEU, it is Pons and Mary Joy Palma who will lead the charge.

Tinsel Joaquin

By Tinsel Joaquin

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