The DLSU Lady Spikers continued their winning streak as they hunted down their archrivals ADMU Blue Eagles in four sets, 25-15, 25-14, 20-25, 25-19, earlier today, March 12, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. The Lady Spikers harnessed their building momentum to propel themselves toward capturing the hard-fought victory.
Shevana Laput was the catalyst of the Lasallians as she tallied 25 points, with 19 attacks, three blocks, and three aces. Team Captain Angel Canino complemented Laput’s performance, chipping in 17 markers.
From the other side of the net, Lyann De Guzman led the charge for the Lady Eagles as she garnered 16 points, followed by Alexis Miner who contributed 13 points.
Set on fire
Going into the court, the DLSU Lady Spikers had something to prove as they notched their arrows to get on the scoreboard, 4-2. But early on in the game, the Blue Eagles outplayed the Green-and-White, taking advantage of the Taft-based squad’s shaky launch, 6-2. Laput and Canino pushed the squad forward, nicking consecutive marks on their attacks. However, the Blue Eagles maintained their composure, banking on the Lady Spikers’ sluggish performance, 8-5.
Team Captain Canino ignited the Lasallians’ spark with a powerful attack, slowly burning away the efforts of the ladies in blue, 9-7. Following suit, the team delivered play after play, with a Laput monster block tying the set at 11-all. Losing their stride, the Katipunan-based squad committed consecutive errors, placing the Lady Spikers at an advantage and triggering an Ateneo timeout in an attempt to stop the bleeding, 14-11.
With the Lady Spikers on fire, the Blue Eagles did not stand a chance, completely losing their footing in the match. With costly errors and a toppling playmaking, the Katipunan-based squad bled out as the Green-and-White climbed to the top, 19-14. A costly service error from the Blue Eagles grounded them further. Laput immediately followed this with a back row attack, shaking the Blue Eagles for another timeout. As the match continued, the cracks in the Eagles’ strategy magnified, until a reception error from the Blue-and-White gave La Salle the set, 25-15.
A set of challenges
After dominating the first set, the Lady Spikers sought to keep the ball in the air and maintain the momentum they had built. Amie Provido’s back-to-back attack earned La Salle their first two points of the game. Ateneo attempted to challenge the Taft-based squad by claiming a foot fault by Alleiah Malaluan. However, DLSU remained unfazed, resulting in two consecutive service aces by Laput, 11-3. Another challenge was raised by the opponent; this time, reaching beyond the net caught by the Ateneo’s eagle eyes, which was successful. But La Salle was quick to recover as Malaluan killed Ateneo’s hopes for recovery with a down-the-line attack, 13-6.
Ateneo struggled with both their net and floor defenses. While La Salle also had its fair share of errors, the Blue-and-White could not seem to capitalize. During the last plays of the set, Canino went on a rampage with her solid blocks and spikes, denying the Eagles’ entry into the Lasallian den. The second set was capped off with an Ateneo service error, 25-14.
Taken aback
Riding the high from their straight-set wins, the DLSU Lady Spikers stepped on to the third set on the hunt for victory. However, the Blue Eagles stormed into the match with another thought in mind. Hungrier for a win, Yvana Sulit led the Katipunan-based squad with a running start, which was immediately backed up by her teammates’ playmaking to outmaneuver the Lady Spikers, 4-1. Team Captain Canino did not let this slide, pushing the Green-and-White with Laput to tie the game at 5-all. The first few minutes of the game stayed tight as both teams adjusted to each other’s pace, 11-all.
De Guzman, craving for a win, showed out with an ace, inspiring fellow teammates to step up, 12-11. On the other hand, the Green-and-White slowly crumbled as the Blue Eagles ironed out their offensive and defensive plays, pushing the Taft-based squad on edge. Fresh from the second technical timeout, De Guzman served a backrow attack, surprising Taft’s towers and further widening the gap by four, 17-13. Strengthening their resolve, the Lady Spikers attempted to patch up the cracks. However, errors plagued their plays amid the fast and dominating pace of the blue jerseys, 20-15.
Laput, refusing to bow down against the Katipunan-based squad, shot a cross in an attempt to rally the Lady Spikers for another win, 23-17. Shaken from her prowess, an attacking error from the Blue Eagles triggered a timeout on their side of the court to quell La Salle’s hopes at a one-up, 23-18. They successfully disrupted the Taft-based squad’s composure after a reception error pushed the blue jerseys to set point, 24-18. Laput and Lilay Del Castillo attempted a late rally, putting down consecutive marks on the Green-and-White’s scoreboard, 24-20. However, Sulit saw an opening and delivered a sharp cross, crushing the hopes of the Lady Spikers at a straight-set victory, 25-20.
Shaky ender
After succumbing to pressure during the last set, the Lady Spikers aimed to replicate their stellar performance during the first two sets. Ateneo and La Salle exchanged points early on. However, La Salle found their spark after a lethal attack by Provido from behind the net, cutting the lead to one, 14-13. Meanwhile, Malaluan was steadily earning digits for her team with back-to-back attacks, marking the beginning of La Salle’s comeback.
Although Ateneo attempted to narrow down the gap, the Lady Spikers were set on bringing home the win. Ateneo’s crucial errors opened up more chances for La Salle. After a Canino antenna touch, DLSU recovered just in time. In the end, a Canino swing brought them into match point. Provido’s block marked their victory for the fourth set and the end of the game, with the Lady Spikers pulling ahead by six, 25-19.
After a thrilling win against rivals Blue Eagles, Head Coach Ramil De Jesus reminded the Lady Spikers to stay composed, especially in high-pressure situations like this game. “Actually, niremind ko lang sila na kailangan sa ganoong klase na situation, nangingibabaw yung tibay ng dibdib kase noong third set nagkaroon ng errors and may sumunod and mayroong mga hindi naka-control sa sarili, and ayun nga tuloy-tuloy na.”
(Actually I just reminded them that in those situations, they need to show their heart because in the third set there were errors and there were a lot of follow-ups that made them lose control, and it continued on.)
Following Laput’s career-high record of 25 markers, she shared her thoughts on playing against FEU, especially with the Tamaraws’ standing. “It’s just about trusting in our system, in our coaches, and just making ourselves prepared for this coming game. Because all teams, as coach have said, they are all competitive. So, we’re ready for all of them.”
After their back-to-back wins, the Lady Spikers stand at 4-2 on the tally. They aim for another victory on their record in the tournament when they face off against the FEU Lady Tamaraws on Saturday, March 15, at 3 pm at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
DLSU 3 – Laput 25, Canino 17, Malaluan 12, Provido 7, Reyes 3, Del Castillo 2, Tolentino 0, Soreño 0
ADMU 1 – De Guzman 16, Miner 13, Sulit 7, Pacia 6, Chuatico 2, Cortez 1, Silla 1, Montoro 0
Set Scores: 25-15, 25-14, 20-25, 25-19
