Lady Spikers make quick work of AdU in season opener
The De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers (1–0) made quick work of the Adamson University (AdU) Lady Falcons (0–1) in their UAAP Season 86 opening match, 25-16, 25-16, 25-18, earlier today at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.
Angel Canino was hailed Player of the Game (POG) after scoring 14 points off 11 spikes and 3 blocks.
Picking up where they last left off, the defending UAAP champions got off to a commanding 5-2 start in the opening set, spearheaded by captain Julia Cornel's sevice ace, as well as multiple kills by Shevana Laput. Alleiah Malaluan got into the mix with a service ace of her own, followed up by Thea Gagate's quick attacks that sent the match into the first technical timeout, 8-3. The Taft-based squad may have lost a few key players, but their towering defense remained top-tier as multiple block points handed them a ten-point advantage, 13-3. The Lady Falcons momentarily stopped the bleeding with a few cross-court kills, before Amie Provido's running attack sent the set into its second break, 16-8. Despite some errors starting to pile up for the girls in green, reigning Rookie-MVP Angel Canino announced her entry by taking over the opening set, single-handedly closing it out with her onslaught of attacks, 25-16.
It was a sluggish start to the second set for the Lady Spikers as their errors would match their attacks, keeping it close at 7-6. Multiple quicks from both Provido and Gagate then reenergized the team with their lead sizing up to six, 13-7. Looking to claw their way back into the game, San Marcelino’s spikers began to heat up, forcing La Salle to call timeout after cutting the lead to three, 15-12. The Taft-Towers' stifling defense then led to consecutive block points coming out of the second TTO of the set, including one at the end of a long rally that had the arena buzzing, forcing Adamson to regroup, 21-14. From there, the defending champs continued their dominance, ultimately claiming the second set with yet another block point by Laput, 25-16.
Captain Coronel began the third set looking to make it the last of the game, dumping the ball over the net and connecting with multiple teammates to jump to an early 4-2 advantage. Despite the head start, consecutive errors plagued the Lady Spikers, resulting in a stalemate, 7-all. La Salle’s middle blockers continued to shine, closing the door on most of Adamson’s attacks, forcing them to call time and rethink their strategy, 12-9. Canino then showed why she is one of the league’s top players after exploding for five straight points, 18-12. In the closing moments of the match, the Lady Spikers' second unit was able to take care of business, with Katrina Del Castillo, Jyne Soreño, and Julyana Tolentino teaming up to finish the job, 25-18.
The Lady Spikers look to build a winning streak as they face the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws in their next game, February 21, 2 PM at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Set Scores: 25-16, 25-16, 25-18
Box Scores:
DLSU 3 — Canino 14, Laput 11, Gagate 8, Provido 8, Malaluan 7, Coronel 5 (13 Exc. Sets), Soreño 1, Del Castillo 1, Larroza 0, Tolentino 0, De Leon 0 (L, 12 Exc. Digs)
AdU 0 — Almonte 6, Lalongisip 6, Adolfo 4, Villegas 4, Ancheta 3, Juegos 3, Alcantara 2, Aljibe 2, Bacson 1, Yandoc 1, Verdeflor 1 (L)
