With both squads vying for a coveted Final Four berth, the DLSU Lady Spikers relied on steadiness to subdue the hungry UP Fighting Maroons in straight sets, 25-15, 25-18, 25-20, in the UAAP Season 88 Women’s Volleyball Tournament earlier today at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
In maintaining their unblemished record, Eshana Nunag deftly piloted La Salle’s offense, earning Player of the Game honors with 15 precise sets, two aces, and three digs. Meanwhile, veterans Angel Canino and Amie Provido provided crucial support with 15 and 10 points, respectively.
Across the net, Jelai Gajero and Nina Ytang drove Diliman’s fight, contributing nine key points to keep their side in the contest.
Threads of control
In a dimly lit arena with a sparse audience, neither squad dictated the early tempo as both searched for footing to take control of the set. Nunag ignited La Salle’s offensive surge, orchestrating her attack through Canino, Provido, and Shane Reterta. Still, the Fighting Maroons were inspired, as Ytang stayed high and aggressive to even out the production with six deadlocks hunting the rally and patience before the technical timeout, 8-all.
Canino seized scoring opportunities from left-side attacks to overhead balls, while Provido led the Lady Spikers’ early blocking effort with two key stops, putting La Salle ahead, 12-10. Nunag drew from her tactical playbook, setting Shevana Laput for opposite-side attacks and Provido for a B-quick, keeping UP on the defensive and extending the lead to 14-10. With faster defensive recoveries and quick transitions, the Green-and-White executed a 5-0 run to pull away from the Diliman squad. Despite the occasional mishandlings and miscommunication, Provido and Canino demonstrated strong on-court chemistry, denying Yesha Noceja at critical moments to make it 17-12. Lilay Del Castillo added a deft tip off an over-received ball, helping the Lady Spikers’ lead steadily grow, 18-13.
Once they’ve found their rhythm, the Lady Spikers surged with precision, countering Jaz Manguilamutam’s deceptive drops and keeping UP on the back foot, 19-15. In the latter exchanges, La Salle clearly threaded command with Canino delivering a clean pipe hit, Laput shutting down Gajero at the net, and Reterta’s tip behind the blockers closing the set, leaving UP grasping at shadows, 25-15.
A Green-and-White show
With the level of play exalted on both ends, powerhouses Laput and Canino took early command of the second set and immediately built a six-point leverage, 8-2. Getting stifled by the minute, the Diliman squad relied partially on La Salle’s errors for their scoring, until Ytang broke through with a power tip and a momentous 3-0 run began to ensue for her squad. This was not enough groundwork for UP to build on as it only took a single middle attack from Provido for them to return to their shaky form as La Salle continued to lead, 11-8.
With more room to operate, the Taft-based squad began to diversify their attacks, exploiting all sides of the court while maintaining a disciplined net presence to further contain their opponents, 18-10. Despite another precise cross-court attack from Ytang, both Del Castillo and Reterta found another weak point to abuse as they challenged UP’s block with back-to-back power tips, 22-15.
La Salle committed a pair of late errors, but UP proved more error-prone in the closing stretch, with a service miscue by Gajero handing the set to the Green-and-White, 25-18.
Decisive in motion
In the third set, efficiency was the name of the game for La Salle, with Canino showcasing wide offensive variations from punishing hits to Laput’s sharp right-wing spins, all driven by Nunag’s firm decisions to lift the offensive pressure and quickly put the Green-and-White ahead, 3-0. Yet Kianne Olango and Ytang ensured that Diliman remained unshaken, rallying through timely blocks and efficient side-outs to keep the score tight at 6-5. However, the Lady Spikers were determined to finish the match on a high note with Canino’s quick conversions down the line, complemented by Del Castillo’s precise floaters and Provido’s tight net coverage. Nunag continued to deliver the most comfortable sets, setting up Reterta against a single blocker, extending La Salle’s lead to 11-8.
La Salle’s certainty extended to defense, with Lyka De Leon providing Nunag with pinpoint receptions to enable quick middle plays. Del Castillo is quick to adjust in the execution with a clever dink just behind Diliman’s defense, 13-11. But the Fighting Maroons sparked a brief revival with Julia De Leon’s insertion, as she delivered an ace and set up Jan Baclay for a running attack, while Gajero’s efficient side-outs helped tie the set at 17-all.
As the set remained tightly contested and the pace unsettled, Nunag trusted her spikers and kept them composed, delivering sets that probed UP’s floor defense. Del Castillo exploited openings and stayed active on the challenges at the net, while La Salle checked on offensive variations with middle attacks and left-wing options, particularly through Canino, 23-20. In the end, Nunag’s on-court judgment maintained variety with Canino and Laput to execute, deciding the game for the Green-and-White, sealing the match at 25-20.
After another dominant performance, Lady Spikers Head Coach Ramil de Jesus reflected on the La Salle brand of volleyball as they clinched their 16th consecutive Final Four appearance. “Para sa akin kasi, every year nage-evolve ‘yung volleyball, so magandang humabol sa kung ano man ‘yung mayroon kasi hindi pwedeng doon ka lang, maiwan ka doon,” he expressed.
(Volleyball evolves every year, so it’s good to keep up with whatever’s latest because you can’t just stay in one place and get left there.)
Leading a system already tested by time, he emphasized the need to maximize available resources to fully bring out each player’s a-game. He noted, “Mahirap kasi ‘yung pagka may potential lang ‘yung bata tapos hindi mo mailabas ‘yung talent.”
(It’s hard when a kid has potential but you can’t bring out their talent.)
Despite its continuity, de Jesus explained that the program contends with the constant turnover of players and the coaching staff leans on its senior core to instill a mindset that sustains the system across generations. Rookie setter Nunag credited this very environment, attributing her “mature” approach and “mental preparedness” to the guidance and support her “coaches and ates” never fail to give.
With a title bid coming into clearer view, Canino underscored the team’s focus on remaining grounded, choosing to take it one game at a time rather than fixating on their “big goal.” This perspective has allowed them to stay aligned with their standards of play.
Having secured the first Final Four slot, the Lady Spikers aim to turn to active recovery during the Holy Week break as they prepare to face the FEU Lady Tamaraws on Wednesday, April 8, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores:
DLSU 3 – Laput 16, Canino 15, Provido 10, Reterta 9, Del Castillo 8, Nunag 2, Santos 0, Buenaventura 0, Rodriguez 0, De Leon 0, Cabradilla 0, Reyes 0, De Guzman 0, Caringal 0, De Jesus 0, Ewis 0
UP 0 – Gajero 9, Ytang 9, Olango 7, Baclay 5, Ali 3, De Leon 2, Manguilimotan 1, Noceja 1, Capistrano 0, Umayam 0, Monares 0, Jaboneta 0, Madriaga 0, Bansil 0, Fernandez 0
Set Scores: 25-15, 25-18, 25-20
