The DLSU Lady Spikers are back on another Finals berth after clawing the UST Golden Tigresses in an intense five-set matchup, 26-28, 25-19, 25-20, 21-25, 15-13, in the 2024 Shakey’s Super League Tournament, earlier tonight, November 6, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Building on her remarkable performance, Shevana Laput emerged as a prolific scorer for DLSU, contributing 19 points through 15 attacks, two blocks, and a service ace. She was well-supported by Team Captain Angel Canino and middle blocker Amie Provido, who added 17 and 12 points, respectively.
In a gallant stand, Angeline Poyos emerged as the cornerstone of UST, delivering a stellar performance with 22 points through spikes alone—the lone player to surpass the 20-point threshold. Following Poyos are wing spikers Regina Jurado and Jonna Perdido, who each contributed 10 points.
UST calling the shots
Despite extending the first leg of the match, the DLSU Lady Spikers faltered in the latter part of the set, giving UST an early advantage. The Golden Tigresses immediately exhibited their powerful dominance, showcasing their strength with an impressive 12-2 scoring run that was primarily driven by Jurado’s consistent serving, 12-4. Although the ladies in green rallied back with an 8-2 run, even provoking a timeout from UST, a service error by DLSU sent both teams into the second technical timeout with the Thomasians on top, 16-13.
Tension soared in the court as Laput and Perdido traded powerful attacks, but a service error from Laput gifted the Golden Tigresses a crucial five-point cushion, 20-15. Canino’s back-to-back hits drew DLSU closer, but Poyos’s fierce claw gave UST a set-point advantage, 24-19. This ignited formidable blocking from DLSU, blazing a five-point run to tie the game at 24-all. As the first set warranted an extension, the match transformed into a thrilling back-and-forth of gusty spikes. DLSU’s timing of errors ultimately led to their downfall, allowing UST to seize the first set, 28-26.
Refurbished energy
The second set saw the same low-scoring output from the error-plagued Lady Spikers, who could not break through UST’s defense. The lack of ball control was evident on the side of La Salle as Maria Santos scored off the block, but UST swiftly responded with a 3-0 run where two points came from La Salle’s errors, 6-2. As the momentum shifted, the Lady Spikers went on an unstoppable 5-0 run, using their quick plays to gain their first lead of the set, 7-6. Mary Coronado kept UST’s spirit alive as she gave the La Salle blockers a hard time, cutting the Lady Spikers’ lead to one, 11-10. Not backing down, a sharp attack by Jyne Soreño gave the Taft squad a three-point advantage as they entered the second technical timeout, 16-13.
The positive shift in the Lady Spikers’ second set outing was thanks to the stable floor defense of the liberos, Lyka De Leon and Francesca Rodriguez, who amplified their digging and receiving efforts. This was supplemented by Katrina Del Castillo’s attack from the middle as they entered the 20-point mark, with UST still behind by four. The Lady Spikers swiftly cruised past the Golden Tigresses, maintaining their stable net and floor defense. With Canino’s approach from the middle, the second set ended with a sizable six-point cushion to tie the match at one set apiece, 25-19.
Momentum trade-off
Momentum swung like a pendulum as DLSU and UST traded sets, culminating in a nail-biting showdown during the intense latter half of the game. Early into the third set, it was a seesaw of points as both squads’ wing hitters showcased their scoring prowess. Poyos’ hit out pushed the team to the first technical timeout at 8-all, but Provido and Laput’s towering height allowed DLSU to earn a five-point cushion, entering the second technical timeout on top, 16-11.
UST’s unforced errors allowed La Salle to stretch their advantage to six, 21-15, with the Tigresses calling for time. Jurado’s smart thinking became the lifeline of the ladies wearing black, scoring thrice to cut the deficit to four, 24-20. However, a pipe attack by Laput sealed the third-set win for La Salle, 25-20.
The fourth set, taking a sharp turn, saw a low-scoring output from the Lasallians as UST could read their plays while consequently dismantling their defense, minimizing DLSU’s scoring opportunities. The Lady Spikers were down by a large margin as Athena Abbu flourished for UST, anchoring the team’s blocking and making the most out of the sets passed to her, 9-5. As the error-filled set ensued, Soreño committed a costly fault, dumping the ball out of bounds as they trailed by more than half, 13-6.
As La Salle bravely attempted to catch up, Poyos showed up for UST both in defense and offense, countering La Salle’s overreceive to maintain the upper hand and hold a seven-point advantage, 18-11. Despite the big lead, Lasallian rookie Mary Reterta relentlessly fought back, chipping back-to-back points for the Lady Spikers. This power, however, was not enough to suppress UST’s energy as Perdido was able to score in spite of La Salle’s triple block attempt, 23-17. The gutsy Lady Spikers’ spirits remained high as they were able to save the set with a 3-0 run due to Santos’ crosscourt attack and crucial errors from UST. Ultimately, Poyos’ combination attack allowed the Golden Tigresses to force a deciding set, 25-21.
Narrow escape from the Tiger’s den
The Lady Spikers showcased their command in the early part of the fifth set as Laput’s service ace ushered the teams to the other half of the court, 8-4. However, her serving strength was jinxed after sending the ball straight to the net—enabling UST to deplete their lead to one, 10-9.
Consecutive powerful attacks from Poyos intensified the game’s emotions, but La Salle maintained a narrow lead, 12-11. Canino’s skillful combination play from the middle secured the match point for DLSU, 14-11. Despite a double contact violation by Malaluan and a strong down-the-line hit from Poyos, Canino managed to land a shot that grazed the corner pocket of the Tigresses’ court, ultimately finishing the fiercely contested match and sealing the finals ticket for DLSU, 15-13.
Facing the formidable Golden Tigresses, who kept the Lady Spikers on their toes, Player of the Game Laput shared that their determination to catch up fueled their success in the second and third sets, where they won by a significant lead. “Even though we were down in the first set, we still fought back. We were able to enter 26-28 so that fire we had in the first set continued on in the following sets,” she explained.
Despite a remarkable undefeated run, Laput knows that the job is far from done as they enter the Finals, “We’re super happy, very grateful, but there’s still so much to improve on. We cannot be complacent.”
Riding the momentum of their latest victory, the DLSU Lady Spikers are now laser-focused on taking home the Shakeys Super League title in the upcoming best-of-three Finals series on November 22, 6 pm, at the PhilSports Arena—where they will face their final opponent.
The Scores:
DLSU 3 – Laput 19, Canino 17, Provido 12, Soreño 8, Malaluan 6, Reterta 5, Del Castillo 3, Santos 3, Nunag 2, Caringal 1, Ordiales 1, Reyes 1, De Leon 0, Rodriguez 0
UST 2 – Poyos 22, Jurado 10, Perdido 10, Abbu 7, Altea 5, Cordora 3, Carballo 2, Coronado 2, Gula 2, Knop 1, Plaza 1, Escober 0, Pepito 0, Waje 0
Set Scores: 26-28, 25-19, 25-20, 21-25, 15-13
