The DLSU Lady Spikers shook off an early game setback to cage the UST Golden Tigresses, 23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 29-27, earning a precious twice-to-beat advantage for the upcoming Final Four in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament earlier today, April 30, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Commanding the Green-and-White in their sweet second consecutive win against the Golden Tigresses was Angel Canino, who posted an impressive performance with 24 points made up of 19 attacks, four blocks, and a service ace. Aiding the team in this journey was Shevana Laput, who registered 22 points.
On the other side of the court was Ange Poyos with her own triple-double performance, dropping a whopping 24 points, 13 excellent digs, and 12 receptions.
Sluggish start
In a race for the elusive twice-to-beat advantage, the Lady Spikers chased the tail of the Golden Tigresses throughout the first set, with their opponent reaching both technical timeout points and set point first. In the early minutes of the set, UST seized momentum with a 4-0 run, forcing Canino to step in with a block point in an attempt to deny their rise, 4-2. However, the Green-and-White were unable to match the pace of the España-based team, with the rest of their score coming from errors until the first technical timeout, 8-4.
The Lady Spikers finally reached even footing with an error-plagued UST through a 4-0 blitz built off a smart attack from Amie Provido and a commanding block from Alleiah Malaluan, along with two mistakes from their opponent, 10-all. Despite going through multiple deadlocks, the Lady Spikers were unable to get ahead of the Golden Tigresses, who eventually widened the gap with a resounding Poyos attack and an ace from Reg Jurado, 18-14.
The Golden Tigresses maintained their advantage. They even saw their biggest lead in the first set after a 3-0 run, which was ended by Poyos’ scoring fire to suppress the Lady Spikers, 22-16. However, the Taft-based squad refused to give up even in the final minutes of the maiden set. Daring to inch closer before set point, the Lady Spikers listed back-to-back points from a sharp down-the-line from Malaluan and a restricting block from Provido, 22-18. DLSU came as close within one, 24-23, showcasing their fighting spirit with two consecutive points from a subbed-in Jyne Soreño dunk and a crosscourt from Canino. Despite the Lasallians’ best efforts, UST ultimately closed out the opening set with a signature off the block from Poyos, 25-23.
Commanding the ship
Undeterred by the slim first-set loss, the Lady Spikers found their groove and claimed the second leg of the match. The arena saw a tit-for-tat earlier in the set with nine deadlocks. A solid denial against Poyos kicked off the set, but was quickly followed by a strong crosscourt shot drilled by the Golden Tigresses to put them on top, 2-1. Lasallian wing hitters from both the right and left pin traded blows against the Thomasians. Eventually, Jurado’s heavy serves sealed a two-point cushion for the girls in yellow at the first technical timeout, 8-6.
The match sizzled with intensity as both squads traded skillful blows alongside crucial mistakes. Canino then took charge, unleashing consecutive down-the-line spikes that carved out a three-point edge for DLSU, 16-13. The Lady Spikers then surged forward with an impressive 6-0 run, hitting the 20-point benchmark first, 20-14. UST narrowed the gap to two, 20-18, following two powerful hits from Kyla Cordora and an uncharacteristic attack error courtesy of Canino. Fortunately, a reception error halted UST’s momentum, allowing the Lady Spikers to regain a four-point edge, 23-19. Despite Poyos managing to penetrate the Taft Wall, Malaluan’s over-reception handed DLSU the second set as no Thomasian received the ball, 25-20.
Rollercoaster ride
With their first-set win inside their pockets, the Lady Spikers looked to be on the upswing of the ride, opening the third set with a 3-0 run powered by Laput and Provido, 4-1. DLSU remained on the rise after back-to-back points from Laput, which consisted of an off the block and a service ace, to give La Salle a three-point advantage before the technical timeout, 8-5. The Green-and-White held on to their lead after the short break, ensuring that they would answer back to every call that the Golden Tigresses made, 12-9. But the ride took a sudden dip as UST roared back with a 4-0 scoring blitz, capped off with a service ace from Jurado to reclaim the lead, 14-13. Evidently rattled from the sudden change in the game’s tone, the Lady Spikers faced a disappointing five-point deficit after committing four costly errors from service, attacking, and miscommunication that dug them deeper, 18-13.
La Salle regrouped to regain their composure and sparked a stunning 8-1 comeback run, which was capped off by Soreño’s smart and reliable attacks, 20-19. With both teams hungry for a set advantage, neither was willing to give the third set up. UST attempted to go closer to match point after a quick attack from Jurado, but DLSU quickly caught up after a running attack from Provido and service ace from Canino brought them to an even battleground, 23-all. Although the Golden Tigresses reached set point first off a thunderous attack from Poyos, their gap would be cancelled out with two costly errors, 25-24. Grasping on to this lifeline, Lilay Del Castillo won a satisfying net battle to bring the Lady Spikers closer to the set win, 26-25. But this would not be the defining moment of the set. The match extended further as both teams reached a series of deadlocks, until Canino finally broke the ice with back-to-back hits, 30-28.
Twice-to-beat secured
In the pivotal fourth set, the Lady Spikers worked hard like a well-oiled machine to clinch a come-from-behind win against the Golden Tigresses, sealing a twice-to-beat bonus entering the semifinals. La Salle had the upper hand in the first half, leading with as much as two points. An exchange of service errors marked the fourth set, 1-all, but Laput’s back-to-back tips put La Salle ahead by two, 5-3. Del Castillo’s zero-tempo attack and block pushed both crews into the first technical timeout with the Lasallians leading, 8-6.
The Golden Tigresses leveled the match at 11-all after a successful block touch challenge against Canino and a service ace provided by Margaret Altea. This led to a 4-0 run by the Thomasians capped by Cassie Carballo’s dunk, 17-13. Canino and Soreño’s clever hitting kept La Salle hanging by a thread, 17-16. However, UST was able to increase their advantage to five through their heavy serving, 22-17.
Just when UST seemed poised to force a decider, the Taft towers came into play, with Provido giving consecutive blocks to tie the game at 22-all. A service error and Laput’s attack error kept UST’s hopes for a fifth set alive as the team reached set point first, 24-22. Malaluan showed her experience and composure, erasing the opponents’ lead with a strong denial and an ace, 24-all. Ultimately, DLSU clinched the hard-fought set, 29-27, courtesy of Del Castillo’s solid denial and a dramatic pipe attack by Laput.
DLSU tallied 20 blocks in the match, with Provido spearheading this defensive effort with five blocks. She shared that this victory served as a significant morale booster for the team as they head into the Final Four crossovers with an advantage. “Happy lang din ako sa pinakita ng team. Nakita ko sa kanila na gusto nila [and] may puso, so ako binigay ko lang din ang best ko for them, para makuha ‘yung panalo.”
(I’m just happy with what the team showed. I saw in them that they wanted it and they had heart, so I also just gave my best for them, so we could get the win.)
Assistant Coach Noel Orcullo also reminded the girls that they should take each set one point at a time, which later on translated to the four-set victory. “Sabi nga namin sa kanila, hindi pa tapos ‘yung laban, kaya pa natin dumikit. Nadikitan nga natin ‘yung first set, [so] bakit hindi natin tiyagain na kunin natin ‘yung laban na ito? Hanggang hindi umaabot ng 25 ‘yan, huwag kayong bibitaw. Kapitan niyo, kaya natin yan, onti-onti, one point at a time.”
(As we told them, the game isn’t over yet, we can still catch up. We almost caught up in the first set, so why can’t we persevere to win this game? If it’s not yet at 25, don’t give up. Let’s not give up, we can do this, little by little, one point at a time.)
Seeded at number two in the standings, the DLSU Lady Spikers are on a hunt to secure a finals berth by battling the same foes, UST Golden Tigresses, in their semifinals rematch on Saturday, May 3, at 6 pm at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores
DLSU 3 – Canino 24, Laput 22, Malaluan 11, Provido 10, Soreño 6, Del Castillo 6, Santos 1, Reyes 1, Tolentino 1, De Leon 0, Reterta 0, Ordiales 0
UST 1 – Poyos 24, Jurado 12, Hilongo 8, Banagua 6, Carballo 5, Abbu 4, Cordora 2, Altea 1, Pepito 0, Plaza 0, Waje 0
Set Scores: 23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 29-27
