Sustaining their flawless campaign, the DLSU Lady Spikers dominated the UE Lady Warriors in a commanding straight-set sweep, 25-20, 25-18, 25-15, to claim their 13th consecutive triumph in the UAAP Season 88 Women’s Volleyball Tournament, earlier today, April 15, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Team Captain Shevana Laput fueled the offensive engine for the Green-and-White, recording 12 points anchored on 10 attacks, a block, and a service ace. Echoing her dominance was Angel Canino, who matched the 12-point output purely through 12 emphatic kills. On the defensive end, Lilay Del Castillo anchored the Taft-based squad’s net defense, shutting down the opposition with five kill blocks to highlight a nine-point performance.
Despite the lopsided affair, Khy Cepada valiantly carried the fight for the squad from Recto, logging a game-high 13 points from 10 attacks, two service aces, and a block. Van Bangayan also chipped in a solid effort of 10 points, composed of eight attacks and two aces for the Lady Warriors.
Igniting the offensive engine
The Lady Spikers immediately established their rhythm in the opening set, capitalizing on the unforced errors of the Lady Warriors to build an early advantage. Laput and Amie Provido were activated quickly, finding the open pockets in the defense. Del Castillo, Canino, and Shane Reterta also contributed to the scoring column, utilizing strong attacks to push the Green-and-White to an 8-5 lead. Despite UE’s attempts to counter, which temporarily tied the game at 9-all, Reterta restored stability for La Salle with an off-the-block hit, while Laput’s consecutive right-pin attacks propelled the Taft-based squad to a 13-9 cushion heading into the technical timeout.
Coming out of the break, Laput continued her scoring clinic by unleashing three straight points from the left pin to extend the lead. Canino made her presence felt with a powerful spike through the defenders, helping DLSU reach a 16-12 advantage. The Lady Spikers’ floor defense remained steadfast, allowing Del Castillo and Eshana Nunag to effortlessly convert on overpasses. Seeking to stop the bleeding, UE managed to score consecutive points, prompting DLSU Head Coach Ramil De Jesus to call a timeout. Emphasizing strategic ball distribution, the coaching adjustment paid off as substitute Mikee Santos immediately delivered a cross-court kill. Laput and Canino then applied the finishing touches, with the latter rising for a decisive spike to close the set, 25-20.
Reawakening the beast
Despite a brief plague of errors from both sides, the undefeated Lady Spikers continued their rampage as they soldiered on to the second frame with better defense. Provido’s quick daggers remained unchecked by the Lady Warriors’ net defense as she drew first blood, 3-0. However, the Taft mainstays, who currently place third in reception, continued to struggle with their first-ball woes as UE’s main gunner Cepada notched a pair of aces to launch a 5-0 run and quickly turn the tables for the red shirts, 5-3. From then on, the first half of the second canto showed a seesaw game of deadlocks as both squads suffered from momentum-stopping unforced errors until the 13-point mark.
Soon after, shrugging off their faulty net defense in the opening set, the number one blocking team suddenly reawakened with firmness by the net as Del Castillo rejected Cepada and Samantha Taylan’s bomb attempts to swiftly rack up a four-point lead for the ladies in green, 18-14. Despite occasional sparks from UE’s offense courtesy of Bangayan’s crosscourt fireballs, Canino continued to produce abundantly from the backrow to extend the lead to six as Provido wasted no time to close the set with a soft quick towards a UE campfire, 25-18.
Sealing the sweep
Eager to secure their 13th victory of the season, the Lady Spikers opened the third set with intensified floor defense and sharper serves. Provido set the tone with an early block, followed by Laput’s opposite cross-court attack, and a service ace from Nunag, giving La Salle a quick 3-0 start. UE tried to keep the game close, but Laput’s imposing net defense and a series of break points allowed the Green-and-White to reach the first technical timeout with an 8-5 edge. Returning to the taraflex, Laput fired another service ace to assert dominance while Canino capitalized on a combination play to enter double digits. Del Castillo carried over her blocking prowess to push the lead to 11-6.
Refusing to let their foot off the gas, Reterta secured three-straight points to maintain La Salle’s momentum. Although Cepada and Bangayan tried to spark a late run, Canino answered with a thunderous attack down the middle to secure a 16-11 advantage. The Lady Spikers continued to exploit the defensive gaps of their opponents, with Canino scoring off the blockers to establish their largest lead. With the game comfortably in their control, De Jesus deployed his rookies to gain valuable court experience. Santos immediately delivered off the bench with back-to-back points, eventually swinging through the defense to put DLSU at match point, 24-13. Rookie Ella De Guzman then notched her first points of the game, executing the final kill to seal the set, 25-15, and complete the sweep.
Ahead of their final eliminations hurdle with the defending champions, Team Captain and Player of the Game Shevana Laput looks toward the homestretch of the tournament, one game at a time. “We don’t worry about this streak that we have, that’s 13-0. We worry about how we perform and if we perform what we have done in training: being disciplined and staying true to the system that the coaches are teaching,” said the league’s current favorite for Best Opposite Spiker.
With an unblemished record, the UAAP Season 87 runners-up aim for a quick ride to the Finals as they reencounter the second-seeded NU Lady Bulldogs in a modern-day rivalry classic on Sunday, April 19, at 3 pm at the SM Mall of Asia.
The Scores:
DLSU 3 – Canino 12, Laput 12, Del Castillo 9, Provido 8, Reterta 5, Santos 5, Nunag 2, De Guzman 1, De Jesus 0, De Leon 0, Ewis 0, Reyes 0
UE 0 – Cepada 13, Bangayan 10, Famulagan 4, Nogueras 4, Taylan 3, Pepino 1, Arasan 0, Iquio 0, Torres 0, Relox 0, Reyes 0
Set Scores: 25-20, 25-18, 25-15
