The DLSU Lady Spikers quickly bounced back after a shaky campaign opener, zapping the AdU Lady Falcons in blitzkrieg fashion, 25-21, 26-24, 25-20, for their inaugural win in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament earlier tonight, February 22, at the FilOil EcoOil Arena.
Team Captain Angel Canino’s killer instincts ignited La Salle’s redemption victory after unleashing 15 markers from 14 attacks and one block to be hailed the Player of the Game. Meanwhile, Alleiah Malaluan was the unsung hero for the spikers from Taft, steadily regaining her Season 84 groove with a game-high 16 points off 13 attacks, two aces, and a block
From the losing end of taraflex, Rookie ace Shaina Nitura kept the Lady Falcons at bay after chalking up 16 points of her own off 15 attacks and an ace. Rallying behind Nitura for reliable support was Frances Mordi who uncorked 12 points from 12 attacks for the Adamsonians.
Slow start
The DLSU Lady Spikers started our flat as the Adamson Lady Falcons capitalized on errors to take a 4-0 lead, forcing Coach Ramil De Jesus to call an early timeout. The ladies from Taft answered the call with a series of points coming from Canino, Shevanna Laput, and Amie Provido to inch closer, 4-3. Despite being down early, the Green-and-White clawed their way back into the first technical timeout off an attack error from Adamson.
Nitura tied the game at 9-all with an off-speed attack after the technical timeout, 9-all. The Lady Spikers regained control by building a comfortable two-point lead off a service error from the Lady Falcons. However, it was quickly answered by Nitura’s attack off the block to level the game again, 12-all. The back-and-forth affair continued for both teams, until a smart one-two play coming from Mikole Reyes gifted DLSU a slim lead at the second technical timeout, 16-14.
After a 16-all deadlock, La Salle didn’t let Adamson sniff a chance. Team Captain Canino took charge down the stretch of the set and scored a down-the-line attack to inch closer to the winning point, 22-20. Malaluan closed out the first set with an emphatic attack which sent the San Juan crowd into a frenzy, 25-21.
Twice the power
Riding high on their first set win of the season, the Lady Spikers came out with a firmer defense and service in the second set. Despite their efforts, both squads faltered from an exchange of unforced errors and a seesaw game for the lead. Already a reliable force at the Green-and-White’s frontline, Laput also proved to be one to be reckoned with at the service line as she delivered back-to-back aces, 6-4. As the intensity grew, Lilay Del Castillo matched Laput’s service prowess with two straight aces of her own with the help of the net to give La Salle a three-point gutter, 12-9. But the San Marcelino-based squad refused to back down as they capitalized on a timeout and La Salle’s attack errors to launch a 4-0 run, quickly turning the tables in their favor, 13-12.
Sensing the shift in rhythm, Team Captain Canino decided to take matters into her own hands as she stuffed the scoreboard with three highlight plays, an end-line attack, a down-the-line dagger, and a cut shot to snatch back the three-point cushion for the women in green, 16-13. Shrugging off an erroneous opener, Mordi finally made her presence known with a corner shot and putback to recreate Adamson’s earlier 4-0 run and overtake the Lasallians, 21-20. Nitura’s one-man show in the home stretch of the set gave the Lady Falcons set point, but Canino’s composure held out longer. Thanks to her last-minute adjustments in offense and defense, the Lady Spikers secured the extended second set, 26-24.
Strong finish
After surviving the second set, the Lady Spikers opened the third set with a sense of urgency. The Taft-based squad snatched a three-point lead and forced an early timeout from the San Marcelino-based squad, 4-1. The Lady Spikers pounced early and took the first technical timeout up by five off the errors coming from the Lady Falcons, 8-3.
The Green-and-White slowly pulled ahead of their opponents by capitalizing on their error-plague play, 10-5. However, La Salle’s own errors began piling up, allowing Adamson to creep back into the game, 14-11. DLSU called a timeout to stop the scoring drought after Malaluan’s attack went out. The ladies from Taft reaffirmed their dominance going into the second technical timeout with a crosscourt attack from Laput, 16-14.
With the momentum back on their side, La Salle held the lead with their offense and defense over Adamson, 19-15. With their maturity, DLSU held their composure down the stretch and scored timely points and smart plays, 23-17. Canino and Malaluan closed out the game with powerful spikes to secure their first win of the season, 25-20.
When asked whether the game reintroduced La Salle’s winning traditions to Season 87, Canino declared that there exists room for improvement for the Lady Spikers. “Every game is a learning process for us. So, we take it one game at a time,” the third-year captain shared.
The DLSU Lady Spikers will now return to the drawing board as they prepare to keep their momentum going with their next daunting challenge in the UST Golden Tigresses on Wednesday, February 26, at 5 pm at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores:
DLSU 3 – Malaluan 16, Canino 15, Laput 10, Provido 6, Del Castillo 5, Reyes 2, Raagas 0, Tolentino 0
AdU 0 – Nitura 16, Mordi 12, Nuique 5, Sagaysay 2, Bascon 1, Villegas 1, Dote 0, Jamilo 0, Sapienza 0
Set Scores: 25-21, 26-24, 25-20
