Lady Spikers surrender hopes of securing back-to-back championships to UST
The De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers surrendered their hopes of having back-to-back championships at the hands of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses after five agonizing sets, 20–25, 25–16, 20–25, 25–19, 7–15, yesterday at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.
In the opening set, Shevana Laput ignited the Lady Spikers with a strong start on the outside court, followed by a crucial block, putting La Salle ahead 2–1. Despite Laput’s efforts, UST’s Bianca Plaza and Angge Poyos attempted to disrupt La Salle’s defense, narrowing the score to 5–4. A few moments in, Angel Canino graced the court once more, receiving cheers as she led her lineup, but UST’s Jonna Perdido remained persistent in fighting back for the Tigresses. UST then gained a four-point lead, despite Gagate and Laput combining effectively in the middle, 7–11. Julia Coronel showcased defensive prowess for La Salle, while Amie Provido made crucial plays from the middle, narrowing the gap to six points. Jyne Soreño contributed from the opposite side, while Gagate and Jules Tolentino’s block added to La Salle’s catch-up, bringing the score to 18–23. However, Jona Perdido soon secured the set point for the Tigresses, before Poyos’ play further closed the set, 20–25.
Igniting momentum, Laput initiated the second set, scoring the first point. Soreño’s block on Perdido secured a two-point lead, 2–0, followed by Gagate’s significant block adding to the advantage. But Poyos’ contributions tied the score at 5-all for UST. Gagate and Soreño collaborated for another block, pushing the lead to 12–11, while the Soreño-Canino duo further extended the separation to three, prompting Coach Kung Fu Reyes to call a timeout. La Salle’s dominance continued, despite Plaza interrupting the streak right after. Provido’s strong play from the middle showcased the team’s determination at 23–14. Despite a set point from La Salle, UST fought back before Laput sealed the set with a powerful hit, ending it at 25–16.
Entering the third set, Gagate secured the opening point for the Lady Spikers, although there were aggressive attacks from Perdido shortly afterward, 1–3. Errors from the yellow team’s attacks granted free points to the Lady Spikers, closing the gap to one. Plaza’s successful middle attack narrowed the lead to 8–7 for DLSU. UST’s streak continued with Poyos extending the lead by two points while Laput maneuvered through three blockers, bringing the score to 14–16. Canino then leveled the game at an 18-all deadlock, but despite UST’s four-point lead, Canino rallied, reducing the deficit to 19-22. Although Poyos’ service ace brought UST to set point, Canino salvaged one final point, making it 20–24. However, the Tigresses snatched another set win after Laput’s arrow was denied by UST’s blockers, ending at 20–25.
In the opening moments of the fourth set, the Golden Tigresses held a narrow one-point lead at 3–4. Perdido showcased her prowess, pushing her team to a three-point advantage, only to falter with an attack error, 6–7, but still in favor of UST. Canino demonstrated resilience in a crucial set for the Lady Spikers, disrupting the Lady Tigresses’ defensive rhythm. Led by power spikers Laput and Canino, La Salle secured a two-point lead at 13–11. As the score approached twenty points, Canino’s precise shot down the line and a thunderous spike by Soreño extended La Salle’s lead to 22–16. A crucial attack error by Poyos granted the Lady Spikers a set point, before Gagate’s decisive strike from the middle concluded the set at 25–19, extending the match to a fifth.
In a pivotal set for the Lady Spikers, Canino initiated the scoring, but Poyos’s outstanding performance propelled UST to take a one-point lead. Gagate then evened the score at 3-all. Despite La Salle trailing by three points, UST further extended the lead to 3–8, following an attack error by Laput. Provido halted UST’s momentum with a crucial point for the green-clad ladies, while Laput’s powerful spike narrowed the deficit to 5–9. As tension mounted, a deadly block touch unfortunately granted UST the set point, leaving it open for Carballo to seal the game with a decisive service ace, concluding the match at 15–7. With this result, the Lady Spikers officially end their UAAP Season 86 campaign with a Semifinal appearance.
Set scores: 20–25, 25–16, 20–25, 25–19, 7–15
Box Scores:
DLSU 2 — Laput 20, Gagate 16, Canino 14, Soreno 11, Provido 9, Malaluan 1, Tolentino 1, Coronel 0, Larroza 0, Torres 0, Levina 0, Del Castillo 0, De Leon 0 (L), Hernandez 0 (L)
UST 3 — Poyos 28, Perdido 18, Banagua 8, Jurado 7, Plaza 7, Penafiel 2, Abbu 1, Abellana 1, Caasi 0, Gula 0, Coronado 0, Pepito 0 (L), Hilongo 0 (L)
