AT 10 straight wins, the Final Four, the finals, and the championship are right in the Lady Spikers’ aim.
La Salle guaranteed itself a return to the playoffs after a 25-15, 25-18, 25-20 rout of the University of the Philippines in UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball on Sunday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
A no-nonsense showing from Angel Canino and Shevana Laput powered the Lady Spikers all the way into the semifinals for the 16th straight season.
Laput was again on top of the Lady Spikers offense with 16 points, followed closely by Canino with 15 markers and six digs.
Amie Provido also impressed with 10 points built on four attacks, four blocks, and two aces ahead of nine from Shane Reterta.
Rookie setter Eshana Nunag set up La Salle's Final Four-clinching win with 15 excellent sets and two points.
“‘Yung standing namin, [base sa] results na lang ‘yun. Basta sinasabi ko lang sa mga bata na bigyan ng respeto ‘yung kalaban at dapat ready lang palagi,” said head coach Ramil de Jesus.
La Salle flexes muscles
The Lady Spikers flipped a 9-10 deficit into a 16-11 lead to take control of Set 1 on the way to a 10-point win.
The green-and-white then kept its foot on the gas in Set 2, capitalizing on the error-prone Fighting Maroons, with a Jelai Gajero service miscue stretching the gap further.
The same story unraveled in the third set, one that was much closer through a Gajero-led charge, but still not enough to get a set win out of the unbeaten league-leaders.
A pair of nine-point games from Gajero and Niña Ytang paced State U in the loss, with Kianne Olango adding seven more.
UP's slide continues, as it absorbed its fifth loss in the last six games to fall to 4-6, putting its semifinals hopes in serious jeopardy.
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