Regardless of the game’s implications, a win to close out the elimination round will always boost a team’s confidence heading into the Final Four. The DLSU Lady Spikers have already clinched the second seed in the Final Four, and even with the benefit of having a twice-to-beat advantage, a win later today would give them a lift after last Sunday’s tough loss to the Ateneo Lady Eagles.
For the NU Lady Bulldogs, a win would not just give them another chance at the Final Four, but it would also put pressure on current fourth seed UP. As DLSU and NU clash later at 3:30 pm in the FilOil Arena, each team’s respective storyline will only make the end to the regular season all the more interesting.
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La Salle enters this match coming off a five-set loss to Ateneo, 25-21, 22-25, 16-25, 25-21, 5-15. Alyssa Valdez and Ara Galang led their respective teams in scoring, but the former’s 24 points on 20 spikes propelled the Lady Eagles to victory and the top seed in the Final Four.
Errors affected the game’s outcome as the Lady Spikers surrendered 37 to Ateneo’s 24. Galang led DLSU with 20 points off 17 spikes, while Majoy Baron, Cyd Demecillo, and Kim Dy added 15, 12, and 11 points, respectively, in what was a winnable game for La Salle.
Meanwhile, the Lady Bulldogs are coming off a 10-day layoff after pulling out a crucial five-set win against the UST Golden Tigresses, 19-25, 25-11, 25-16, 21-25, 15-8, last April 3. Jaja Santiago and Myla Pablo took down UST with a combined 40 points, while Jorelle Singh added 15 in the victory. Key to the Lady Bulldogs’ victory was that they were the more careful team as the Golden Tigresses committed 38 errors as compared to NU’s 31.
In their first round encounter, the Lady Bulldogs handed the Lady Spikers their first loss this season in four sets, 25-16, 26-24, 14-25, 25-23, behind the collective efforts of Santiago, Pablo, and Singh, who all combined for 48 points. They spoiled Baron’s big night as she finished with a game-high 19 points that came off nine spikes and eight blocks. Mika Reyes and Galang were the only other double-digit scorers for DLSU, finishing with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Key for La Salle in this game would be to neutralize NU’s Santiago and Pablo, which may be easier said than done. Santiago found openings in the middle of the floor multiple times, but DLSU’s solid reception could potentially keep Santiago at bay. On their part, the Lady Spikers would have to minimize their errors as the timing of some of their mistakes may affect the momentum they would gain on offense.
Though they have already sealed their fate for the next round, the Lady Spikers will definitely want to carry momentum heading into what will be an exciting match-up against the FEU Lady Tamaraws. On the other hand, the Lady Bulldogs still have control over their fate this season, but it won’t be easy to overcome a reeling and motivated DLSU squad looking to erase the memories of their most recent loss against ADMU and that of their first loss this season, which incidentally came against today’s opponents.
