La Salle arranges volleyball finals trilogy with NU, ousts UST from title race

MANILA, Philippines – For the 21st time in UAAP history, the legendary La Salle women’s volleyball program romped back to the finals after dispatching all-heart UST from Season 87 contention off a four-set thriller, 25-22, 11-25, 25-21, 25-21, at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, May 3.

In front of more than 11,000 fans at the Big Dome, former MVP Angel Canino powered down 19 points as the Lady Spikers avenged a Season 86 semifinals exit and forged a finals trilogy series with the mighty NU Lady Bulldogs — both teams each holding a title over the other in the last four seasons.

Amie Provido rose anew with 15 points off 11 attacks, 3 aces, and 1 block, while Shevana Laput scored 14. Lyka de Leon anchored the defense with 20 digs and 16 excellent receptions, as Alleiah Malaluan came one point shy of a triple-double with 9 points, 15 digs, and 10 excellent receptions.

Powering back from a horror second-set defeat, La Salle went toe-to-toe with UST’s momentum as both teams stood at a 20-all standstill, before the Lady Spikers buried the Tigresses with a 5-1 finish for the 2-1 lead.

Coincidentally, the way the third frame turned out was the exact same way the fourth rolled on, as both squads again forced a 20-all deadlock thanks to UST’s last-gasp 4-0 run from down 20-16.

The Tigresses’ fatigue reared its ugly head, however, as Em Banagua snagged the net before Provido scored an ace, 22-20. Lilay del Castillo then followed up with a block on Reg Jurado before UST committed an overreception that led Canino to an easy return smash for match point, 24-20.

An Angge Poyos match-saver check ball came too little, too late, as she followed up her heroic hit with an anticlimactic service error that failed to cross, signaling the end of the Tigresses’ up-and-down Season 87 campaign and the return of the Lady Spikers to the title picture.

Much like UST’s other games, it was another Poyos and Jurado show until the bitter end, with the former scoring 22 and the latter 21, with no other Tigress even breaching the 5-point barrier.

Ever jovial captain Detdet Pepito, meanwhile, gave her all on the defensive end with 25 excellent digs and 14 excellent receptions in what may be her final UAAP game, should she not return for her last playing year. – Rappler.com