The DLSU Lady Spikers gunned down the pesky ADMU Blue Eagles in straight sets, 25-21, 25-17, 25-20, to inch closer to the coveted twice-to-beat advantage at the homestretch of the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament earlier today, April 2, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Rookie playmaker Mikole Reyes orchestrated the blitzkrieg victory after tallying 19 excellent sets, one attack, and four digs to be hailed Player of the Game. Top scorers Angel Canino and Shevana Laput provided offensive boost for the Lady Spikers, chalking up 16 and 14 points, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Katipunan mainstays were led by AC Miner’s unparalleled offense, notching 13 points off 12 attacks and a block, in their valiant flight. Captain Lyann De Guzman provided reliable support as she unleashed a 10-point outing off nine attacks and a block.
Offense is defense
The first set between DLSU and Ateneo started off sloppy with both teams committing several unforced errors. Canino quickly set the tone for the Lady Spikers with a powerful attack, but Ateneo capitalized on DLSU’s mistakes to take the early lead, 3-2. The intensity of the match progressively escalated. DLSU managed to pull ahead briefly, but De Guzman and Miner responded with strong attacks for ADMU, keeping the score close.
Errors from both teams persisted which affected the flow of the game, yet DLSU’s timeout seemed to provide a reset. Coming out of the break, they quickly regained their composure. Key points from Canino, Amie Provido, and Lilay Del Castillo had finally put La Salle in the driver’s seat, 12-10.
Despite Ateneo’s attempts to rally, including a late 5-2 run spearheaded by Miner, DLSU kept their lead intact, 22-20. Laput’s crucial spike post-timeout as well as Del Castillo’s back-to-back block points helped DLSU close out the set, 25-21. The first set was a battle of errors and adjustments, with DLSU eventually capitalizing on Ateneo’s mistakes to grab an early lead in the match.
Middles meddling
Shrugging off the shaky start, the stalwarts from Taft strived to make it double in the second set with better activation from the middle and floor defense. Within a titter-tatter exchange, the deadly Canino-Laput duo initially kept the Lady Spikers at bay with above-the-blocker power shots in response to successive quicks from ADMU’s middles Yvana Sulit and Jihan Chuatico, 8-all. But shaking off a blocked one-two attempt, Reyes suddenly turned on the switch by activating Provido with consecutive quick attacks and a run-and-gun to stretch the divide in La Salle’s favor, 13-9.
Yet the Ateneans did not cease to put up a big fight as Zey Pacia soared with a hit-off, baseline bomb, and an ace to keep her team in close contention, 15-13. In response, Reyes continued to scramble the opponents’ net defense with her diversified plays, setting up Alleiah Malaluan’s classic down-the-line dagger and offspeed attacks while crediting herself a point with a successful second attempt at a one-two dump, 19-14. Finally, Provido showed out the endgame spirit as she brought out a putback and another quick attack to gift La Salle eight set points and eventually the whole set courtesy of Laput’s down-the-line slice, 25-17.
Hunt complete
The third set of the La Salle-Ateneo archrivalry match was a tense battle. Ateneo jumped out to an early lead, capitalizing on a series of errors from the Lady Spikers, 7-2. DLSU, visibly exhausted and struggling to find their rhythm, called an early timeout in an attempt to halt Ateneo’s momentum. After the break, the Lady Spikers slowly started to claw back, with Laput leading the charge to reduce the deficit. As Ateneo continued to commit errors, DLSU used them to their advantage, tying the game and setting the stage for a dramatic turn of events, 8-all.
Both teams exchanged blow after blow, but it was DLSU who started to build momentum. The Green-and-White were able to capitalize on several mistakes from the Blue Eagles, such as service and attack errors, 13-11. Canino and Malaluan also made their presence known, providing crucial points that helped DLSU edge ahead even with Ateneo’s attempts to regroup.
As the set progressed, DLSU’s confidence grew, where they took full advantage of Ateneo’s struggles. Malaluan’s ace gave the Green-and-White a commanding lead and a closer stance to winning the match, 23-18. Even though Ateneo tried to mount a late comeback, the Lady Spikers’ resilience and ability to grab every opportunity helped them maintain their advantage, closing the match, 25-20.
DLSU Head Coach Ramil De Jesus acknowledged Reyes’ timely activation of her middle plays, which she struggled to do in the first round, citing it as a reflection of her improving decision-making skills inside the taraflex. “Binibigyan talaga namin ng oras sa training ‘yung mga setters, and gusto namin magkakumpiyansa [sila]. Unti-unti nagiging maganda ang resulta,” declared the 12-time champion coach.
(We really invest time in the setters during training, and we want them to gain confidence. The results have been slowly improving.)
The Lady Spikers look to add another win to their column as they fortify their hopes of advancing to the next round. They face the UE Lady Warriors this Saturday, April 5, at 3 pm, at the same venue.
The Scores:
DLSU 3 – Canino 16, Laput 14, Provido 9, Del Castillo 8, Malaluan 7, Reyes 1, De Leon 0
ADMU 0 – Miner 13, De Guzman 10, Pacia 8, Sulit 4, Montoro 2, Chuatico 1, Fujimoto 1, Silla 1, Arroyo 0, Cortez 0, Hugo 0
Set Scores: 25-21, 25-17, 25-20
