The DLSU Lady Spikers opened Round 2 hot as they added another win to their UAAP Season 88 Women’s Volleyball campaign, taking down the AdU Lady Falcons in four sets, 25-19, 17-25, 25-23, 25-23, last night, March 21, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Green-and-White was led by Angel Canino, who bagged 20 attacks and an ace to earn herself Player of the Game nods. Alongside her was Amie Provido, scoring a personal season-high 18 points and game-high five blocks to secure Taft’s defense.
On the other side of the court, Shaina Nitura asserted force through 23 points and two blocks, while Frances Mordi provided support with 21 points and two blocks.
Sparks fly
As their last bout stretched to an intense five-set duel, the Big Dome witnessed an electric atmosphere to start the match. The Lady Falcons got off to a hotter start through a zone 5 attack from Marie Joy Aseo, granting AdU an early 3-1 lead. Green-and-White powerhouses Shevana Laput and Angel Canino closely followed suit with a block and power tip to lift the Lasallian spirits. The back-and-forth action was capped off by a Shane Reterta attack off two blockers to bring the set to its first technical timeout at 8-7. Momentum swung both sides after the break with a zone 6 strike from Mordi and an Aseo dump helping Adamson inch closer, only to be stopped by a pair of points from Amie Provido, with the latter being a block to keep La Salle safe with a 13-10 lead. Then, AdU struck back with a Nitura attack off two blockers, but the composed Canino then relentlessly retaliated with her own hard-hitting attack off two and an ace, 17-13.
The set continued to run with strong offensive plays, yet was hampered by numerous attack errors as neither team established an effective blocking presence. Amid this, a long rally ensued with the Lasallians coming out on top as Canino scored off the check, 22-17. Finally, a full-on Green-and-White assault from Provido, Laput, and Canino was unleashed to put the set to rest at 25-19.
Taking a nosedive
Already exhibiting the aggressiveness to dictate the rest of the game and with clear leverage from their late first set surge, the Lady Spikers entered the second frame immediately up, 1-0, through a Provido quick. Meanwhile, hungrier to get even, Adamson propped up a tighter guard at the net, which remained easy to exploit, particularly for Reterta, who powered her attacks through, enough to push DLSU to a 6-3 advantage.
With the help of a string of unforced errors from the San Marcelino-based squad, a useful upper hand landed in favor of the Green-and-White. This was until Mordi’s follow-up leveled the game at 8-all and began Adamson’s string of luck. In what started as a four-hit error from DLSU, the Lady Falcons broke the game wide open with a six-to-nothing run, 15-8.
Experimenting with a fresh player rotation, DLSU was able to momentarily stop the bleeding with a drop shot by Mikee Santos. Nonetheless, La Salle continued to suffer a meltdown, with poor first balls rendering them unable to convert. Back-to-back aces by Mordi and Nitura’s mastery of through-the-block hits built a comfortable 20-9 cushion for the Adamsonians. Canino attempted to provide a late lifeline with a personal 3-0 run, but the Lady Falcons had already claimed the set, not letting a play pass without a kill, decisively winning 25-17.
Rising stakes
La Salle carried their momentum from the previous set as the Green-and-White sparked a 3-0 start. Nitura broke the bank open for Adamson, but La Salle’s advantage grew further due to errors on the San Marcelino side. However, the game steadied as attacks from Nitura and Mordi steadied it. Reterta then scored on a combination play and an ace to lift La Salle back up, forcing AdU to call time out, 10-5. Soon after, Mordi’s aggression took over with four overpowering attacks. More hits were sent by the Lady Falcons, but Canino once again ceased the AdU run with a drop ball that outsmarted the blockers to go up 15-11. Errors mounted on both sides, leaving no room for mistakes as the set reached the twilight zone.
An ace from Princess Dote sent the Adamsonian faithful into a frenzy and forced DLSU coach Ramil De Jesus’ hand to call time out with a 19-18 scoreline. The Lady Spikers immediately capitalized on the timeout with an emphatic attack from Canino, securing a hard-earned point from a long rally and providing cushion for the Green-and-White, 21-18. A battle of the Alas Pilipinas stars shone under Araneta’s bright lights as the confident and unyielding Nitura provided another lifeline for Adamson, only for Canino to shut it down in cold-blooded fashion, 25-23.
What they do best
A set away from securing their eighth win, the Lady Spikers were met with firm resistance, as their opponents opened with a 4-0 run. Still grappling with a shaky defensive setup, the Taft-based squad aimed to slowly patch things up, refusing to suffer yet another drubbing. Reterta signaled the effort, turning to her reliable through-the-block tactics to keep it a one-point game, 7-6.
As both squads engaged in a swift exchange of points, La Salle appeared to be gaining ground. An eight-second service violation, however, was all it took for the team to return to square one. Adamson quickly took advantage of the disruption, exploding with quick attacks and power tips to maintain their lead, 18-13.
After a few more errors, the Lady Spikers appeared to have awakened from their dry spell, with Provido beginning the offense with a dump. Soon after, the Green-and-White began to rely on what they do best, putting up a block party that allowed them to inch closer, 20-18. Nitura continued to provide her side with offense through down-the-line attacks, but a crucial block posted against her brought the scoreline to 21-all. In the end, Canino further rose to the occasion, scoring from the back row and tooling the block to seal the game for La Salle, 25-23.
Following a triumphant yet admittedly flawed outing, Lady Spikers Assistant Coach Noel Orcullo reflected on the team’s second-set breakdown, expressing relief at La Salle’s timely return to its strong blocking game. Describing the match as a “test of character,” he credited the team’s rigorous off-season preparations as a key factor in their ability to endure, “Kahit lamang ang kalaban, pinipilit nilang igapang para manalo. ’Yung puso nandoon, at saka ’yung tiyaga,” he expressed.
(Even when the opponent is ahead, they push themselves to grind it out and win. The heart is there, along with perseverance.)
Provido, who led the squad’s defense, emphasized the responsibility she carries as one of the seniors to spark the Lady Spikers’ drive in difficult stretches. “Team effort din talaga ’yung reason kung bakit nakuha namin ’yung panalo,” she said.
(It was really a team effort that led to our win.)
Meanwhile, Player of the Game Canino shared how she helped provide the Green-and-White with a much-needed push, reminding the team of the task at hand, anchored on a simple but decisive factor. According to her: “Puso lang, wala nang iba.”
(Just heart, nothing else.)
The Lady Spikers now turn their attention to another fierce battle as they face the UST Golden Tigresses on Wednesday, March 25, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
DLSU 3 – Canino 21, Provido 18, Laput 10, Reterta 9, Del Castillo 4, Santos 1, Buenaventura 0, Cabradilla 0, Caringal 0, De Guzman 0, De Jesus 0, Ewis 0, Nunag 0, Reyes 0
AdU 1 – Nitura 23, Mordi 21, Aseo 11, Tuddao 10, Dote 4, Sagaysay 2, Aposaga 0, Barrera 0, Bascon 0, Dionisio 0, Divinagracia 0, Gam 0, Jamil 0, Rocha 0, Sapienza 0, Segui 0
Set Scores: 25-19, 17-25, 25-23, 25-23
