Bouncing back to prevent a possible two-game skid will be the DLSU Lady Spikers’ goal as they face the NU Lady Bulldogs tomorrow, February 19, at the FilOil Flying V Centre. The Lady Bulldogs, led by the towering Jaja Santiago, currently share the top spot with the UP Lady Maroons with a 3-0 record, while the Lady Spikers sit at 2-1 alongside the ADMU Lady Eagles.
Prior match-ups
Last year’s match-up was balanced as both teams were able to get at least one win out of the other. In their first meeting, NU prevailed over La Salle, 25-16, 26-24, 14-25, 25-23 behind 48 combined points from Jorelle Singh, Jaja Santiago, and Myla Pablo. In their final match of the elimination round last season, the Lady Spikers proved to be too much for the Lady Bulldogs after taking care of them, 25-14, 21-25, 25-19, 25-15.
Earlier this season, the Lady Bulldogs raced to the top of the standings after their recent rout of the AdU Lady Falcons, 25-15 25-22, 25-19. While NU has been rolling with victories, DLSU’s win streak to start the season halted at two games after the Lady Maroons swept them in three sets last Wednesday, February 15, with a scorecard of 25-22, 25-21, 25-19.
Getting out of the hole
Despite the frenetic defense of La Salle, UP was able to get away with the win after the Taft-based squad failed to find enough offense to keep them within the game. DLSU relied heavily on veterans Kim Dy and Majoy Baron who scored nine points each.
In order to slip past NU, the Lady Spikers should move on from their recent loss and focus on the task at hand. Remaining composed after the loss will be vital especially against Santiago, who dominated in their prior match with 15 points on seven aces, five attacks, and three blocks.
Moreover for La Salle, it will be more of a battle within themselves. Getting on the same page will be vital as they seemed out of sync offensively in their loss against UP. Their hitters could not capitalize even with captain Kim Fajardo recording 33 excellent sets. Additionally, preventing their opponents from gaining easy points will be top priority as multiple unforced errors deemed to be valuable, as these ultimately cost the Lady Spikers their previous game.
