The DLSU Lady Spikers grabbed their first win in their first game of the 2024 Shakey’s Super League Preseason Championship, holding off the UP Fighting Maroons, 25-14, 18-25, 26-24, 25-12, earlier today, September 28, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Shevana Laput was the top scorer of the match, chipping in 18 points off of 17 attacks and an ace while Team Captain Angel Canino followed closely behind with 16 points from 14 attacks and two blocks, both earning the Player of the Game award. Middle blockers Amie Provido and Lilay Del Castillo followed closely, scoring 10 and eight markers, respectively.
On the other side of the court, the UP Fighting Maroons put up a good fight as Kianne Olango led the team with 12 points, boosted by Kassandra Doering’s seven markers, and six points each from Niña Ytang and Irah Jaboneta.
Running Start
The DLSU Lady Spikers charged through the opening set strong, jumpstarting the match with a three-point lead as UP struggled to take control of the first few seconds of the game, 3-0. The Fighting Maroons’ spirit in attack left La Salle surprised, but they continued their fluent offense to keep the upper hand, 8-2.
The team from Diliman continued to scramble against the Lady Spikers as a monster block from Provido stretched their lead to seven, 13-6. Unforced errors by the Taft-based squad gave the Fighting Maroons a window to catch up on their scoring streak, but La Salle carried on with their command with Laput’s straight attack building a 10-point margin, 21-11. Jaboneta tried to rally late in the set, but DLSU ended any hope for a promising run with Del Castillo’s service ace to give the set to the Lady Spikers, 25-14.
Losing grip
After winning by a big margin in the initial set, La Salle struggled to keep their steady defense, gifting UP an unanswered run to start the second set, 3-0. Veteran Jyne Soreño responded with a crosscourt attack, giving the Lady Spikers their first point, 3-1. However, the Lady Spikers’ lapse in defense left them trailing behind, inspiring seniors Soreño and Alleiah Malaluan to stabilize any nerves and tie the match, 5-all.
As the teams exchanged scoring, the lack of momentum made it difficult for the Green-and-White to establish their footing as Olango and Maria Santos looked to spark their respective sides to a comfortable lead, 14-12. After the second technical timeout, the team from Taft were still struggling in both offense and defense, influencing Coach Noel Orcullo to bring back his starters. The Lady Spikers were able to trim the Fighting Maroons’ lead, but late errors ultimately gifted the set to UP, 25-18.
Back on track
Vying for dominance in the match, the Lady Spikers and Fighting Maroons traded blows with no side gaining a significant advantage. La Salle found a way to stay in the lead with Laput’s looming threat and their opponent’s constant errors heading into the first technical timeout, 8-7. UP found momentum after the break with Ytang and Doering dominating the offense, but Canino immediately shut down the smiles of UP, pinning her shots past their blockers, 11-10.
The Lady Spikers found the confidence to punish the UP defense as the Laput and Canino tandem got to work once again, 21-17. As La Salle approached set point, pressure halted their momentum and confidence, allowing UP to tie the game after five straight points, 23-all. However, the Lady Spikers found their rhythm back, closing out the set with a monster block from Provido, 26-24.
Arrows ignited
Entering the fourth set with renewed energy, Doering’s back-to-back monster blocks proved to be a wake-up call for the team’s attackers as Laput gave UP a taste of their own medicine, using the hands of the blocker to score, 2-1. DLSUcapitalized on their powerful and precise swings, punishing the UP defense for an early lead, 6-4. With momentum on their side, the Lady Spikers were able to pull off an unanswered run with contributions from all sides of the court, capped off by a remarkable low fast set by Tolentino to Del Castillo for an astounding 11-point lead, 16-5.
As La Salle’s first victory became apparent, UP’s Olango persevered late in the set, stabilizing their defense with a good first ball and looking for open spots to score, 22-11. Ultimately, the Lady Spikers took control as Laput’s powerful crosscourt attack sealed the deal to award La Salle the fourth set and the win, 25-12.
Coming off this stimulating performance, Laput encourages the Lasallian community to expect a lot of new talents as they are rebuilding during the Shakey’s Super League, “Just expect a lot of new vibes because different people from different backgrounds come in and they bring in their own identity to this team. So we shouldn’t expect the past Lady Spikers. This is the new generation, a new team, a definitely rebuilding team, so expect the unexpected from us. We’re all training really hard, trying to work as a team, and this is a sisterhood so expect that.”
After emerging victorious from a four-set matchup with the Fighting Maroons, the Lady Spikers aim to continue their winning streak with the Letran Lady Knights on Friday, October 11, at 3:30 pm at the same venue.
The Scores:
DLSU 3 – Laput 18, Canino 16, Provido 10, Del Castillo 8, Reterta 7, Malaluan 4, Soreño 4, Santos 3, Tolentino 1, Caringal 0, De Leon 0, Nunag 0, Rodriguez 0
UP 1 – Olango 12, Doering 7, Jaboneta 6, Ytang 6, Monares 5, Bansil 4, Ali 2, Gould 2, Magsombol 1, Capistrano 0, Celis 0, Ildefonso 0, Noceja 0, Ysulan 0
Set Scores: 25-14, 25-18, 26-24, 25-12
