Even with a Final Four spot already secured, the DLSU Lady Spikers entered their final match in the elimination round against the NU Lady Bulldogs as if it were held in the middle of the season. Despite surrendering the second set to the Lady Bulldogs, who were seeking a playoff for the last Final Four spot, the Lady Spikers slowly found their rhythm to take down NU in four sets, 25-14, 21-25, 25-19, 25-15, earlier today at the FilOil Arena.
Kim Dy helped DLSU in avenging their first round loss to NU after finishing with a career-high 25 points on 15 spikes, five blocks, and five service aces. Majoy Baron added 13 points on 10 spikes and three blocks, while Mika Reyes rounded out DLSU’s double-digit scorers with 10 points on four service aces. Jaja Santiago was the only NU player in double figures after finishing the game with 14 points on 10 spikes, two blocks, and two service aces.
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Trading leads and splitting sets
The Lady Spikers were off to the races in the first set, racing to an early 6-0 lead that forced NU head coach Roger Gorayeb to call an early timeout. Baron and Kim Fajardo caught fire early, as their spikes and service aces gave DLSU an 8-2 lead heading into the first technical timeout (TTO) of the first set. The TTO proved to be effective for the Lady Bulldogs as they cut the lead to three, 8-5. La Salle quickly countered the NU run with a 6-0 run of their own, as Dy and Fajardo gave DLSU a 14-5 lead, their largest at that point in the game. The Lady Bulldogs would counter with another run of their own, scoring four straight points that forced DLSU head coach Ramil De Jesus to call a timeout.
La Salle quickly regained their composure as Cyd Demecillo and an NU error gave DLSU a 16-9 lead heading into the first set’s second TTO. Both teams would trade points after the second TTO, but La Salle would continue to hold a sizeable margin over their opponents. In the end, it was Dy’s service aces that ended the set, 25-14.
NU drew first blood in the second set, as they kept DLSU at bay in the early moments by taking an 8-4 lead heading into the first TTO. La Salle would come out of the timeout on a 6-1 run that gave them a 10-9 lead. From there, both teams continued to trade points and the share of the lead, but Demecillo’s quick attack would give DLSU a 16-15 lead heading into the set’s second TTO. Both teams continued to trade points even after the midway point of the set, but in the end, the Lady Bulldogs snuck past the Lady Spikers to take the second set, 25-21.
Lady Spikers seize control
The Lady Bulldogs picked up where they left off as they raced to an early 3-0 lead on the third set. After capitalizing on an NU error, La Salle would go on a 4-1 run that would give them a 5-4 lead in the third set. The Lady Spikers would stretch their lead to three, 7-4, but NU would score four straight points to take an 8-7 lead heading into the first TTO of the third set. Both teams once again traded points, with the Lady Bulldogs and the Lady Spikers trading the lead after multiple service errors.
La Salle’s efforts came into fruition near the midway point of the set, as their blocking gave them a 16-14 lead over NU heading into the third set’s second TTO. Defense continued to be key for DLSU as they continued to extend their lead to as many as six points, 20-14, thanks to a huge spike from rookie May Luna. The Lady Spikers continued to maintain their lead as both teams traded points. In the end, La Salle slowly found their rhythm as Ara Galang and Baron ended the set, 25-19, with the latter going through the NU defense for the spike.
DLSU would continue to pile on the points in the fourth set as they raced to an early 4-1 behind the efforts of Dy. NU would eventually catch up and tie the set at six and take an 8-7 lead heading into the set’s first TTO. La Salle would respond and take a 10-9 lead off a Reyes spike, but NU capitalized on two DLSU errors to take a 12-10 lead in the set. La Salle would again respond with three consecutive points to take a 13-12 lead that would eventually become a 16-13 lead heading into the fourth set’s second TTO. Dy would continue to lead the charge as La Salle would go on a 9-2 run that was capped off by service aces from Reyes, who ended the set and the match, 25-15.
Errors nearly let this game slip away as DLSU committed 31 errors as compared to only 22 for NU. However, La Salle dominated in the hustle stats as they had 68 excellent digs versus the Lady Bulldogs’ 39. Kim Fajardo had all of La Salle’s 59 excellent sets, nearly double the 30 NU had after the game.
The Lady Spikers will only have a few days to rest before they face the FEU Lady Tamaraws, whom they will play on Sunday, April 17, at 3:30 pm in the Mall of Asia Arena. DLSU would only need to win on Sunday as they hold a twice-to-beat advantage over FEU.
