UAAP Finals: Lady Spikers end Ateneo curse, clinch UAAP Championship

After two years of heartbreaking runner-up finishes, the De La Salle Lady Spikers finally broke their dry spell after clinching the UAAP Season 78 Women’s Volleyball Championship over their long-time tormentors, the Ateneo de Manila Lady Eagles, in four sets, 19-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-16, in Game 3 of the Finals earlier today at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

Despite losing the first set, the Lady Spikers came back to grab the next three frames in convincing fashion. They won a tightly contested second set before dominating the third and fourth sets. This year’s title is DLSU’s ninth overall championship since entering the UAAP in 1986.

“Yung first set di pa doon nakikita kung champion ka or hindi. Sobrang taas din ng adrenaline ng Ateneo. Kahit sino siguro humarang doon mababaliktad. Kaya lang ang problema nila ay hindi nila na-sustain ang ganoong klase ng laro,” said head coach Ramil De Jesus on their comeback.

Finals MVP Kim Dy led the way for the newly crowned champions, coming away with 17 points off 16 attacks. Majoy Baron added 11 points coming on five blocks, while graduating players Cyd Demecillo, Ara Galang, and Mika Reyes each had nine points in the victory.

The result negated another strong performance from Season MVP Alyssa Valdez, who dropped 31 points off 30 attacks in her final UAAP game. Jho Maraguinot was the only other double-digit scorer for the Katipunan-based squad as she finished with 10 points on eight attacks.

The Lady Eagles went on a blazing start in the first set, taking a 10-1 lead behind the exploits of Valdez. La Salle was able to cut the lead to three after a spike from Dy, making it a game once more. However, with the score at 21-18 in favor of Ateneo, Valdez and Maraguinot conspired for their team’s last four points to clinch the first frame for the Katipunan-based squad.

Midway into the second set, at a 10-10 deadlock, the Lady Spikers began pulling away from their opponents by scoring six unanswered points. ADMU countered with a 7-1 run to tie the game at 17 points apiece. La Salle was able to get to set point after a block from Baron, while Galang eventually finished it off with a cross court spike to win the second set for DLSU, 25-21.

Gaining momentum from a thrilling second frame, the Green-and-White ramped up their play in the third set. Negating their rival’s strong attack with splendid floor defense, the Lady Eagles were forced into several costly errors, committing 11 in the third set alone. Nearing the end of the frame, La Salle held an imposing nine-point lead, 23-14. A Fajardo tip coupled with yet another error from Ateneo clinched the set for DLSU.

Not wanting a repeat of last game’s meltdown, the Lady Spikers went full throttle at the start of the fourth set. They went on several strong runs throughout the set, with Ateneo’s early 1-0 lead in the set being the only time the Lady Eagles held a lead in the frame. La Salle stepped up their blocking game, limiting their rival’s offensive production. Their largest lead stood at 12 points, 17-5, after a score from Baron. Dy finished off the series with a strong spike that bounced off an Ateneo player’s hand, ending the Lady Eagles’ two-year reign as champions.

The most glaring stat of the game was the discrepancy in errors committed by the two teams. Ateneo had 33 errors compared to 19 for La Salle. Blocking also worked in the favor of the Taft-based squad as they had 10 blocks compared to six for their opponents.

It was a fitting end for DLSU seniors Galang, Reyes, Demecillo, Carol Cerveza, and Mika Esperanza as they ended their UAAP careers with a title after two years of having to come so close to the championship.