The red-hot DLSU Lady Spikers claimed a sound victory over the UST Golden Tigresses in four sets, 25-12, 18-25, 25-23, 25-14, in the UAAP Season 88 Women’s Volleyball Tournament earlier today, March 25, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Leading the way for the Lady Spikers was Player of the Game Angel Canino, who bagged 17 points from 15 attacks and two blocks. Team Captain Shevana Laput also stepped up offensively with 14 points, helping La Salle maintain momentum through the crucial sets.
Sustained dominance
Early on, the Lady Spikers imposed their system, anchored in disciplined reception and precise distribution, which opened up multiple scoring options through Canino, Lilay Del Castillo, and Amie Provido. The pressure mounted as Eshana Nunag put weight on her service game to force early scrambling on UST as Canino capitalized on the loose play to convert the giveaway, 4-1 advantage for the Lady Spikers.
Despite an early edge, La Salle sustained as net defense became a focal point, with Castillo and Laput forming a formidable front. Canino and Provido partnered in offense through quicks and left-side conversions, widening the gap to 8-3. What unfolded was a battle of patience, but the Lasallians proved to be more composed in long exchanges, neutralizing the Regine Jurado and Detdet Pepito floor defense tandem through calculated shot placement and sustained pressure at the net as their discipline translated into separation and stretched the lead to 12-4.
The Golden Tigresses found brief relief through Cassie Carballo’s orchestration, activating Lianne Penuliar on a well-timed slide to halt the momentum at 13-6. However, the Green-and-White’s offensive variability continued to destabilize UST’s defensive structure. Showing full control, Laput timed her transitions in blocking perfectly to help Provido stifle every Tigress attempt, closing the gap to extend their dominance to 19-9.
Jurado and Angge Poyos provided the spark for UST, generating offensive cracks that threatened to carry momentum into the next set. However, Nunag’s backrow connection with Laput prevented the Tigresses from building consistency. La Salle reasserted with full authority, translating their composure into decisive plays as Canino’s aggressive serving and Provido’s terminal blocks, punctuated by Shane Reterta’s finishing strike off the block, sealed the first set with overwhelming force, 25-12.
Tug-of-war
Fresh off a dominating set, the Lady Spikers were met with the blazing eyes of the Tigresses. UST immediately applied pressure from the service line, opening the set with a service ace, followed by a shaky La Salle reception to grab an early 2-0 edge. The Lady Spikers quickly settled in, capitalizing on a UST service error before Del Castillo tooled the block to trim the gap. Provido then imposed her presence in the middle, converting at the net to bring the game to 3-all, as La Salle began to find its offensive rhythm. Laput was a prominent figure in helping push DLSU ahead, contributing a well-placed attack to the backcourt target, while Provido fired a quick attack at the 6-5 mark. UST stayed composed, responding with timely attacks to keep their heads above water, while a point from Reterta and another connection from Del Castillo kept the scoreboard tight midway through the set.
Momentum swung again when UST capitalized on consecutive La Salle miscues. Laput would answer back with a sharp down-the-line kill, but the Tigresses continued to pressure La Salle. Canino managed to send the ball over during a combination play that resulted in a fortunate bounce going out on UST’s side, 12-10. The Thomasians slowly kept control, taking advantage of an attack error from the Lady Spikers. Provido tried to keep La Salle close with a crosscourt finish from the middle, yet reception issues began to haunt the Taft-based squad as UST regained the lead late, 16-15.
From there on, the Tigresses tightened their defense and sustained their offensive flow. Reterta delivered a crucial backrow attack to stretch the lead, while a solid block from Laput briefly stopped the run for La Salle, 18-17. UST, however, kept applying pressure to the Lady Spikers, stitching together points behind aggressive attacks and steady floor defense. La Salle could not force the Tigresses to set point as UST closed out the frame decisively, securing the second set, 25-18.
Epic comeback
After dropping the second set, La Salle’s mindset was solely focused on mounting a comeback, but the early narrative did not reflect that intent. Jurado immediately exploited defensive seams, scoring through variation from down-the-line precision to soft-touch drops, to establish a 2-0 lead. The Golden Tigresses dictated tempo early, with Poyos imposing at the net, blocking Laput, tooling Del Castillo, and converting in transition to push the margin to 5-2. That energy cascaded across the floor as UST sharpened both defensive coverage and offensive cohesion, forcing La Salle into visible disarray.
Miscommunication crept into what had seemed a fluid Lady Spikers’ structure, allowing the Poyos-laden camp to build a commanding advantage, 12-6. Errors turned chances into nothingness as rallies became harder to win for La Salle while Jurado took advantage of every scoring opportunity, 15-9. Carballo let the momentum roll, feeding Poyos to deliver from multiple zones. Supported by Pepito’s active floor defense and faster transitional playmaking, the Green-and-White struggled to catch up, unable to break even UST’s commanding rhythm, 20-12.
With the heart of a champion and the composure of a leader, Canino initiated the reset. Del Castillo and Nunag anchored consecutive blocks, igniting a defensive resurgence. Meanwhile, Provido delivered back-to-back service aces, cutting the deficit to 21-17, and injecting a palpable shift in momentum. Reterta powered through the block to trim the lead further, and Nunag’s recalibrated service pressure set the stage for Laput’s attack, which leveled the tension, 21-all, and transforming what had seemed a lost cause into a full-scale reversal.
In the high-stakes closing stretch, Jurado remained relentless, but Del Castillo rose to the occasion, denying revival attempts to force a 23-all deadlock. With momentum fully reclaimed, Reterta delivered a clutch ace, and Canino capped off a remarkable conversion of a high break ball, completing an epic comeback with such a display of poise only a champion team could show, 25-23.
Momentum denied
Coming off a thrilling third-set victory, the team from Taft entered the deciding set with clear intent, quickly taking control. A service error from UST drew first blood for the Lady Spikers, before attacks from Canino pushed the lead to 4-0. The early surge forced the Tigresses to call a timeout, but La Salle refused to let the momentum slip. Reterta followed with a service ace and a string of errors from the opposite side of the net extended the cushion to 6-0.
The Lady Spikers continued to capitalize on UST’s miscues to further cement their dominance. Laput followed with a sharp crosscourt hit to maintain a comfortable cushion, while the captain also took advantage of UST’s shaky plays, 14-6. Marga Altea attempted to halt the surge with a clever short attack, but fell into La Salle’s rhythm.
Midway through the set, a block touch challenge was raised and ultimately ruled in favor of DLSU, moving the score to 16-9. The Tigresses attempted to claw their way back and recreate the momentum they had in the previous sets, but the Taft-based squad shut down every attempt, delivering more decisive spikes and steadier defense. At the 20-12 mark, Canino spotted an open space on the floor and sent the ball through, while reception errors from UST continued to pile up. The big dome erupted as La Salle methodically built their lead point by point, eventually closing out the deciding set in dominant fashion, 25–14.
After the final whistle, the Lady Spikers walked away with more than just a win; they took lessons in handling pressure, learning from mistakes, and building resilience over time. Head Coach Ramil De Jesus reflected on how these moments shape the team, driving the mentality of perseverance. Coach Ramil reflected, “Hinog na ‘to sa panahon,” noting that the team had matured from all their experiences with leadership in such situations, serving as a key to victories and a guiding example for the rookies.
(They’re ready for the moment.)
Despite struggles in blocking and in-game adjustments, De Jesus believed that the third-set surge demonstrated how determination translates into both tactical and emotional comebacks. In a proud voice, he highlighted how the team’s resolve overcame the almost fallout of the third set.
The Green-and-White now aim to build on the win, reinforcing a mindset of keeping their streak alive as they face the UP Fighting Maroons this Sunday, March 29, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The Scores:
DLSU 3 – Canino 17, Laput 14, Reterta 10, Provido 9, Del Castillo 7, Nunag 3, Caringal 0
UST 1 – Poyos 20, Jurado 12, Unekwe 8, Carballo 7, Althea 3, Bron 3, Gula 3, Perdido 2, Penuilar 1, Balingit 0, Waje 0,
Set Scores: 25-12, 18-25, 25-23, 25-14
