UAAP: Lady Spikers aim for redemption and finals spot against feisty FEU

For the DLSU Lady Spikers, the road to redemption has not been as smooth as they hoped it would be. Injuries hounded the team dating back to the offseason, but the long layoff allowed head coach Ramil De Jesus to make the necessary adjustments before the UAAP season began.

Once the tournament started, the Lady Spikers got off to an inconsistent start after suffering losses to the NU Lady Bulldogs and the UST Golden Tigresses. However, similar to the adjustments they made prior to the start of Season 78, La Salle weathered the storm and pulled off wins that sealed their spot in the Final Four.

Now, with their backs against the wall, the Lady Spikers will look to bounce back from another setback when they take on the FEU Lady Tamaraws in their do-or-die match tomorrow, April 20, at 3:30 pm in the Mall of Asia Arena.

Last Sunday, the Lady Spikers lost to FEU in a gruelling five-set match, 15-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-21, 16-14. It was through the efforts of Bernadeth Pons, Remy Palma, and Toni Rose Basas that the Lady Tamaraws were able to break through the defense of La Salle, as the trio managed to score 22, 18, and 17 points, respectively. On the other hand, Kim Dy led DLSU with 20 points, followed by Ara Galang and Cyd Demecillo, who finished with 14 points each.

The two teams engaged in a close match early in the first set, but midway through the frame, the Lady Spikers pulled away to claim the opening set. In the second set, the Lady Tamaraws gave La Salle a hard time as they were within striking distance throughout the set, but in the end, DLSU managed to hold off FEU to take a two-set lead.

La Salle was ahead for most of the third set, but FEU went on a late run to steal the frame. Contrary to the previous set, the Lady Tamaraws won the fourth set after staying in control for most of it. Another tight match ensued in the fifth set as both teams tried to get the better of the other in the deciding set. In the end, it was FEU who overcame DLSU’s twice-to-beat advantage by winning the final set and the match.

Errors prevented La Salle from advancing to the finals and for them to overcome FEU, they would need to be sharp in their serves and attacks. Offensively, the Lady Spikers were the better team, as they finished with 63 attacks, 10 blocks, and three aces as compared to the Lady Tamaraws’ 59 attacks, two blocks, and six aces, so DLSU needs to make the necessary stops to secure the victory.

For the Lady Spikers, a win tomorrow will send them to their eighth straight finals, while the Lady Tamaraws will try to enter the championship round for the first time since Season 71. When they meet tomorrow, expect both teams to leave it all on the court as La Salle and FEU will continue to add to what is another chapter in their fierce rivalry in the UAAP.