Lady Spikers topple UST in SSL semis
The De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers overpowered the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses in five nail-biting sets, 22–25, 25–18, 14–25, 26–24, 26–24, in the 2023 Shakey’s Super League National Invitationals Semifinals earlier today at the Filoil EcoOil Center.
With this victory, the Lady Spikers booked their Finals ticket and will be against the Adamson University (AdU) Lady Falcons.
Alleiah Malaluan was named MVP of the match with 25 points, from 20 attacks and five service aces.
The game opened with Thea Gagate striking the first bullseye, but the Tigresses quickly took advantage of consecutive errors, 2–5. Cassandra Carballo kept the momentum going for UST, until Shevana Laput blazed the Lady Spikers with a remarkable 3–0 run, that brought the score to 7–6. Malaluan then stepped up, to bring La Salle in front at the second TTO. The Tigresses, however, displayed their dominance with powerful blocks, adding to Angeline Poyos’ stellar performance. On the other hand, Green and White struggled with unforced errors, gifting free points to UST. Despite this, Jessa Ordiales’ back-to-back points and Soreno’s booming attacks across the court maintained their lead, 21–20. From then, UST changed gears as Jurado then sealed the set with a service ace, 22–25.
The two teams fiercely battled for the lead once again in the second canto. The momentum shifted when Laput converted a crucial play, leveling the game at 10-all. This sparked another surge as Laput and Malaluan displayed their mastery, converting aces and cross-court hits to pull their team ahead. A decisive service ace from Malaluan led to the second TTO at 16–12. La Salle achieved their largest lead of the game so far, 19–14, courtesy of a well-executed connection from Jules Tolentino to Thea Gagate for a quick. Meanwhile, Malaluan displayed finesse with a slim down-the-line, helping DLSU maintain a five-point advantage, 21–16. La Salle seemed poised to claim the set, but a determined Xyza Gula thwarted their immediate victory. It was Amie Provido who then had the final say, closing the set with a powerful attack, 25–18.
Jurado opened the third with an impressive kill, setting the tone for UST as they went on a 3–0 run. Malaluan and Laput proved to be consistent, chipping away UST’s lead with well-executed attack-line hits and service aces, bringing their team closer, 5–6. The Tigresses maintained their advantage, stretching the gap to six, 9–15, with Poyos’ back-to-back strike. Capitalizing on the Lady Spikers’ errors, UST intensified their attacks, building a formidable 11-point lead, 9–20. Despite their efforts, Malaluan could not keep the ball in play after Jurado’s powerful attack, granting UST a crucial set point. The set was sealed by the Tigresses, 14–25, with Provido’s attack error.
Eager to recover, the Lady Spikers quickly snatched the first two points, but the Tigresses were swift to recover with Jurado unleashing powerful hits, leveling the score at 3-all. Jurado’s consecutive strikes then granted UST another two-point advantage, while La Salle capitalized on UST’s errors to stay close at 6–7. Despite facing a few setbacks from the Tigresses, the Lady Spikers managed to maintain their momentum, holding on to a narrow lead, 14–13. Amidst the intensity, Malaluan prevented the Tigresses from sealing the set immediately, leading Coach KungFu Reyes to call for a timeout at 22–24. Gagate’s impressive block against Abbu and Provido’s clutch service ace extended the set to a deadlock at 24–all. A Tolentino set to Malaluan ended the extended set, 26–24, forcing the match to go into extension.
The queens in green drew first blood as they carried over the momentum, but the Tigresses countered with multiple combination plays. A long rally was capped with Malaluan delivering an off-speed, sending the set to its TTO in favor of La Salle, 8–5. Meanwhile, Poyos once again propelled UST to closely trail La Salle, leveling the game at 10-all. Gula’s powerful hit, handed the lead back, 11–12. The crucial juncture of the game saw unforced errors from both teams, which resulted in multiple standstills. Going into extension that went back and forth, it was anybody’s game. A Gagate-Coronel block clinched the match point for the Lady Spikers, 25–24, and in the end, Malaluan capped the exhilarating match with a cross-court hit, securing a thrilling 26–24 victory for La Salle.
The Lady Spikers will face the AdU Lady Falcons for the Gold Medal match on August 9, 4 PM, at the same venue.
Box Scores:
DLSU — Malaluan 25, Laput 23, Gagate 14, Provido 9, Larroza 6, Coronel 4, Soreño 5, Ordiales 2, Torres 1, Tolentino 0, Espina 0, Raagas 0, Del Castillo 0, De Leon (L) 0
UST — Poyos 29, Jurado 25, Perdido 9, Gula 8, Abbu 6, Banagua 6, Carballo 4, Hilongo 3, Pepito (L) 1, Caasi 0, Coronado 0
Set Scores: 22–25, 25–18, 14–25, 26–24, 26–24
