Unleashing a barrage of arrows, the DLSU Lady Spikers continued their dominant start to the season, winning against rivals ADMU Blue Eagles in four sets, 25-14, 21-25, 25-15, 25-17, in the UAAP Season 88 Women’s Volleyball Tournament earlier today, March 1, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Imposing her will at the net, Lilay Del Castillo anchored the Lasallian defense with an 18-point masterclass, tallying seven spikes, eight blocks, and three service aces. Meanwhile, Angel Canino spearheaded the Green-and-White’s relentless offense with a game-high 21 points, built on 20 attacks and a service ace. Amie Provido also provided a significant boost for La Salle, adding 17 points from 14 attacks and three blocks to secure the victory.
Establishing early dominance
Without their scoring machine, Shevana Laput, for the second consecutive game, the DLSU Lady Spikers relied on a collective effort to set the tone early against the ADMU Blue Eagles. The opening frame saw a tight exchange, with both squads deadlocked multiple times up to 5-all. The Blue Eagles capitalized on early errors, but the Green-and-White quickly found their rhythm. Anchored by the stifling net defense of Del Castillo and Canino, La Salle began to pull away with Shane Reterta and Provido chiming in with piercing attacks, pushing the Taft-based squad to a 13-10 advantage.
The Lasallians staged a dominant run and never looked back. Playmaker Eshana Nunag proved to be the catalyst as she seamlessly distributed the ball to Canino for off-the-block hits from the left flank. The defensive masterclass continued as Lyka De Leon kept the ball alive with crucial digs, allowing Del Castillo and Reterta to anchor a massive 8-2 scoring surge. With the Blue Eagles struggling to formulate a response against La Salle’s towering blockers, Provido sealed the first set with a swift middle attack, 25-14.
Blunders turn the tide
The Lady Spikers seemed confident and composed after an 11-point dismantling in the first set. However, the Blue Eagles shook off early jitters and pressed relentlessly with a fearless and determined Ana Hermosura at the forefront, cleaning lines from zone one to put Ateneo ahead, 2-1. Surprised by Ateneo’s aggressiveness, pressure began to haunt the Lady Spikers, manifesting in costly service and attack errors, 8-7.
Ateneo stayed active in containing Reterta as Jennifer Delos Santos was opportunistic in using the block to gain advantage and put the Green-and-White at an 11-9 deficit. The rotation seemed rattled as the Lady Spikers operated in an unfamiliar mindset of losing control. Katherine Cortez noticed the chaotic defensive gaps and opted for faster plays, feeding Hermosura for open attacks. Lady Spikers Head Coach Ramil de Jesus fielded a double substitution in which Mikole Reyes and Althea Cabradilla served a short-lived spark. Reterta had her glimpse of survival, yet was shut down by the Blue Eagles’ momentum. Zey Pacia and Jihan Chuatico added to their run with Cortez’s disguised sets, pushing Ateneo to the second technical timeout with a three-point advantage, 16-13.
Hermosura and Donna De Leon briefly kept DLSU in the gripping chase narrative, both breaking through stuffed Lasallian defenses, 20-19. Despite leading in all departments, the Taft-based squad recoiled when they stuck to their core strategies, getting contained by Chuatico and the rest of the Eagles, forcing them to relinquish the set from a lead disadvantage and nine costly errors, 25-21.
Reclaiming the momentum
Seeking to recover from a shocking second-set stumble, the Lady Spikers entered the third frame with renewed focus. The opposing squad attempted to sustain their momentum, forcing early deadlocks at 3-all. However, Del Castillo quickly shut the door, delivering consecutive rejections to spark a quick 3-0 run. While Delos Santos and Hermosura tried to inch closer with outside conversions, La Salle’s offense proved too overwhelming. Canino halted the opposing surge with a vicious right-wing kill before substitute Ella De Guzman immediately made an impact with her own crosscourt hits. A booming middle strike from Provido eventually gave DLSU a comfortable six-point cushion heading into a timeout, 13-7.
The Green-and-White sustained their aggressive tempo for the remainder of the set, with Provido immediately widening the gap with back-to-back defensive stops. Cabradilla and De Guzman provided a much-needed boost off the bench, bringing essential firepower to keep ADMU at bay. Despite Hermosura’s efforts to carry the offensive load, Canino remained an unstoppable force. The Lasallians then cruised to a double-digit advantage before Provido officially put the third set to sleep, 25-15.
Chaos turned control
All efforts were on not allowing another set to slip away. Although not as fluidly executed as the first set, DLSU’s attacking rhythm returned as Nunag was clear in resorting to what she knew were the game-enders, locking in on Provido and Canino for offensive control to put La Salle back in commanding play, 8-2. Cabradilla continued to assert herself, planting firmly on the service line to reap aces and force Ateneo’s top diggers into defensive lapses. Despite lingering errors, net faults, and service compromises, Del Castillo did not miss a frontline rotation for conversion, connecting with Nunag on an A quick to extend DLSU’s lead to 12-4.
The Katipunan squad rallied to move the DLSU blockers left to right, opening a gap for De Los Santos to register back-to-back hits in the hope of inching closer, 14-9. Meanwhile, miscommunications and miscues slowed the Nunag-Provido duo, but a service error from the blue shirts allowed the Green-and-White to breathe and recalibrate. The Provido-Canino duo then took charge at the net, executing key blocks and attacks to push the lead to 17-11. With eyes fiercer and focused on closing the match, L. De Leon manned the first ball for Nunag to cleverly shuffle the offense, giving Provido free passage to place the ball perfectly above the blockers. Ateneo’s D. De Leon seemed to adjust, but Nunag responded by delivering an opposite attack through Cabradilla, scoring an attack and an ace to escape the Katipunan defense, 20-14.
In the final stretch of the fourth set, Canino moved confidently, reading zones and placing her shots strategically through the blocks. In true fearless Lady Spiker fashion, she took the lead by rallying the team with Del Castillo to anchor the front line with crucial blocks and serves, completing a full recovery in a four-set, eye-opening struggle against long-time rivals Ateneo, 25-17.
In the post-game interview, DLSU Assistant Coach Noel Orcullo acknowledged his team’s strengths while also praising the grit of the ADMU Blue Eagles. He credited de Jesus for the team’s preparation, noting that everything from blocking to serving and reception reflected their guidance. On Laput’s potential return, he added that there was still no clearance from her doctor.
Stepping in as Team Captain during Laput’s absence, Canino saw the second set loss as a valuable learning moment to pinpoint areas for improvement. She emphasized that being off the court does not equalize shouldering heavier responsibility: “Marami [sa] mga bata willing to step up, lahat kami maasahan sa court.” This was evident as Nunag, Cabradilla, and Mikee Santos contributed heavily to the four-set victory.
(Many of the rookies are willing to step up, all of us can be counted on in the court.)
Building on the team’s effort, Del Castillo emerged as Player of the Game with a standout eight-point blocking performance, fully embracing her role in the team’s core. She credited the coaches’ guidance and shared the achievement with teammates. Reflecting on her performance, she affirmed that her breakout should serve as a benchmark for consistent effort rather than a one-time sight.
The Green-and-White aim to keep their unblemished record clean as they prepare to face the UE Lady Warriors on Saturday, March 7, at the same venue.
DLSU 3 – Canino 21, Del Castillo 18, Provido 17, Reterta 8, De Guzman 6, Nunag 6, Cabradilla 5, Santos 5, De Leon 0, Reyes 0
ADMU 1 – Hermosura 18, Delos Santos 15, Chuatico 7, De Leon 5, Pacia 5, Fujimoto 1, Arroyo 0, Cortez 0, Nisperos 0
Set Scores: 25-14, 21-25, 25-15, 25-17
