The DLSU Lady Spikers preserved their undefeated reign, bashing a dominating offense against the UE Lady Warriors for a straight-set victory, 25-15, 25-20, 25-19, in their UAAP Women’s Volleyball Tournament Round 1 encounter earlier today March 7, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Eshana Nunag’s strategic masterclass crafted La Salle’s dominance on the court. The setter scattered 21 excellent sets to assist Team Captain Shevana Laput and Amie Provido, sharpening DLSU’s control on the taraflex.
Opposing them, Lady Warriors outside hitter Beatrice Zamudio and Team Captain Karsai Bangayan chipped in with a valiant effort, contributing quick hits to contest control of the net.
Middle-powered surge
The DLSU Lady Spikers wasted no time in asserting control during the opening frame, leaning heavily on their ball distribution and middle attacks to dictate the tempo early. With Shane Reterta opening the score sheets and the returning Laput quickly adding to the tally, the Taft-based squad established an early cushion, 2-0. The middle towers of Provido and Lilay Del Castillo soon became the focal point of the offense, repeatedly converting quick attacks off Eshana Nunag’s sets that caught the UE blockers flat-footed. Angel Canino also warmed up after delivering a block that further fueled the early surge, allowing La Salle to build a comfortable advantage heading into the first technical timeout, 8-5.
Despite brief answers from the wings of the Lady Warriors, the might of the Green-and-White maintained firm control as the middle department continued to flourish. Del Castillo powered through quick sets while Provido took control of the net with surprising attacks and a crucial block on Khy Cepada. Even as UE attempted to chip away with off-the-block hits and quick attacks of their own, the Lady Spikers offense kept the gap at a stretch, with Canino slicing down the line, 19-12. With room to spare, DLSU Head Coach Ramil De Jesus utilized the bench with substitutions that boosted the Lady Spiker’s rhythm. Del Castillo capped a dominant lead with a block, while Dominique Caringal struck from the middle off the bench to push La Salle to set point, 24-15. Eventually, the Lady Spiker’s overwhelming feat led UE to commit an attack error that sealed the set at a commanding 25-15 opener.
Rising red momentum
Opening in steady back-and-forth scoring, momentum was initially slow with an exchange of errors. Dashing to leave UE in their dust at 7-3, the Lady Spikers scored an early five-point streak led by Canino’s offensive shutdowns that no blocker could contest. UE lagged to catch up as La Salle stalked Bangayan’s movements. Soon, UE distributed their offense widely and shortly gained on the Lasallians as power and speed boomed among the Lady Warriors. Nimble quicks slipped past La Salle’s blockers, bashing their backline.
Feeling the pressure, the Lady Spikers retaliated with block-breaking hits. The Provido-Laput-Del Castillo frontline ignited another five-point streak. Del Castillo followed up with a strong attack that slipped past heavy pressure from UE’s blockers, while Provido and Laput’s spikes powered through to bring the score to 22-12. The green shirts inched closer to a clear second set finish, but they would blunder on a service error which were capped by double aces from UE. The Lady Warriors’ offense sparked hopes of a comeback as they grew unpredictable with succeeding quicks blasting across the green defense. However, Del Castillo dunked on their hopes to give the team from Taft another set, 25-20.
Resistance meets resolve
With two sets in the bag, the Lady Spikers encountered early resistance in the third frame as the Lady Warriors leaned on aggressive serving to disrupt their reception game. Nunag caught the first point with an ace for a 1-0 lead, but UE quickly flipped the momentum behind consecutive service aces that pushed the Recto-based side ahead with a three-to-nothing run, 3-1. Cepada’s tough serves kept the Lady Spikers scrambling early and urged Canino to regain footing. Provido later restored the Lady Spikers’ rhythm through familiar quick attacks from the middle, stitched with Del Castillo’s well-placed drop to help La Salle edge ahead, 10-9.
Despite maintaining a lead, the ladies from Taft struggled to dominate and pull away as UE continued to pressure them through Bea Zamudio and Cepada. The Lady Warriors eventually tied the frame at 13-all following a reception lapse from DLSU, but Canino quickly attempted to halt the run with her signature crosscourt hit to restore their thin lead. A crucial service ace from Mikole Reyes then created separation, allowing La Salle to regain control after the second technical timeout. After retracting momentum, consecutive errors filled the court of the spikers in red as La Salle capitalized to widen the gap even more, before Canino once again pierced through the block to extend it to 19-15. Late contributions from Ella De Guzman and Laput further strengthened the cushion, while Althea Cabradilla sealed the match point opportunity with a solid block, 24-19. Similar to the opening set, the last straw was dealt by their own fault, as UE handed the Lady Spikers the straight-set victory, 25-19.
Team Captain Laput emphasized that composure played a key role in preventing lapses from snowballing into bigger problems. “In terms of team, mistakes happen, but it’s when you’re afraid to make mistakes that’s when that pressure you put on yourself, that’s when you begin to make more mistakes,” she said. Instead of dwelling on errors, La Salle leaned on their system that allowed players like Nunag to control the plays and the middle tandem to steadily rebuild momentum and close the match with pride.
The Lady Spikers now steady their composure as they prepare to face the AdU Lady Falcons on Wednesday, March 11, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores:
DLSU 3 – Canino 12, Del Castillo 10, Laput 9, Provido 8, Reterta 5, Nunag 4, Cabradilla 3, De Guzman 2, Caringal 1, Reyes 1, Santos 1
UE 0 – Cepada 14, Zamudio 9, Bangayan 3, Nogueras 3, Iquio 2, Olmoguez 2, Arasan 1, Canete 0
Set Scores: 25-15, 25-20, 25-19
