Earlier today at the FilOil Flying V Centre, the DLSU Green Spikers took down the UP Fighting Maroons in straight sets, 25-22, 25-23, 25-19. With La Salle’s victory, the team was able to improve to a 1-1 win-loss record, after losing to the UST Growling Tigers in their season opening game.
“Ginamit namin yung pagkatalo na yon para bumawi and para ma-improve pa namin yung mga pagkukulang sa pagkatalo sa UST, pinag-aralan din namin ang UP para handa kami,” shared Green Spiker Arjay Onia.
(We used that loss to get back and improve on our shortcomings in our loss against UST, we also studied UP so that we’re prepared.)
Onia was dominant on both ends of the court, recording 19 points on 17 attacks and a service ace. Raymark Woo also chipped in 10 points to the team. In the losing effort, Mark Millete and Wendel Miguel finished with 12 and 11 points each, respectively.
John Castillo opened the game in favor of the Fighting Maroons with an attack, while Onia and JD Delos Reyes scored the first two points for DLSU through a cross court attack and a quick offensive play, consecutively. A close match between the two teams ensued in the first set as both teams looked to outrun each other and capitalize on their opportunities. La Salle concluded the first set leading UP in attacks, 13-12, and blocks, 4-2, as they minimized their errors to six against UP’s eight. DLSU claimed the first set of the match from UP, 25-22.
The second set saw the two teams trade points from unforced errors. In the first few minutes of the second frame, both teams committed service errors, as each team prevented the other from taking the lead. At 12-all, Dumago pulled off a combination play with Reyes. The team from Diliman consecutively scored off the block, however, they were unable to make it to break point throughout the set as an attack from Onia closed the second set at 25-23, in favor of the Green Spikers.
The Green Spikers’ tenacity on defense continued in the third frame, leading to numerous points won. This was highlighted when the team scored off of seven successful blocks coming from the collective efforts of Delos Reyes, Dimayuga, and Reyes. UP’s Miguel, Millete, and Gian San Pascual each scored points as they capitalized on cross court attacks and blocks. Although, the two teams were at each other’s tails, the Green Spikers came out of the gate as the more aggressive team as they went on a 6-1 run towards the end of the set. Dumago capped off the game with a kill, sealing the win for La Salle, 25-19.
After the game, DLSU head coach Norman Miguel mentioned how the team used their first loss of the season as motivation to claim the win earlier today against UP. “At first we had a slow start, we lost the first two sets, mababa yung intensity, we had to factor in yung may konting nerbyos pa, and then technically nagstudy ako,” shared Miguel as to how he was able to create the necessary changes to improve the team in their future matches.
Miguel added that he also focused on improving the team’s mindset in preparation for this game, he shared, “Especially yung attitude sa loob, ‘wag mamadaliin yung bola.” Onia added that the team is now slowly but surely looking to improve and step up in every game, “Hindi na pwedeng bumalik yung mga pagkukulang namin in the past games tapos babalik ulit in the future.”
(We can’t have our shortcomings from the past games come back [in the succeeding games] in the future.)
The Green Spikers will return to the FilOil Flying V Centre where they will be taking on the FEU Tamaraws on Wednesday, February 12, at 8 am.
