LA SALLE regained a share of the lead in a tight race for the top two places with a great 25-23, 21-25, 25-17, 22-25, 15-12 escape against University of the East in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Thea Gagate kept the fight alive for the Lady Spikers in top star Angel Canino's absence en route to their seventh straight win - and ninth in 10 games overall - with 22 points on 17 attacks, three blocks and two aces.
Another towering ace in Shevana Laput steered the Taft side to the finish line after firing 21 markers built on 17 attacks, three blocks and an ace.
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"Bad win. Bad win sa amin ito. Although panalo, hindi maganda para sa amin. Siguro, tine-test talaga kung hanggang saan 'yung character ng team na ito, kung hanggang saan makakaya. Hopefully, 'wag na maulit.
"Sana maging lesson itong nangyari na five sets. Although nanalo and a win is a win, dapat ilagay nila sa isip nila na dapat hindi nangyayari ‘yung ganun," rued La Salle deputy coach Noel Orcullo.
The defending champions may have stood tall by the end of a grueling two hour, 29-minute contest - albeit plagued by 31 unforced errors - but the Lady Warriors didn't go down without a fight as it made the most of its chances to cut the Taft Towers down to size.
UE's young guns caught fire early through sophomore ace Khy Cepada (23 points) and rookie hotshot Casiey Dongallo (20 points) before a late 11-2 La Salle run in the opening set blindsided the black shirts.
From there, Cepada & Co. banked on consistency and versatility in terms of attacking (55 attacks), serving (seven aces), blocking (nine blocks) and receiving (43 receptions) to hold their ground against the champions and force a fifth-set tiebreak.
An early 7-2 La Salle lead in the final frame was erased by a four-point UE push. The tug-of-war to the end, close as it might have been, ultimately ended in the league leaders' favor through an unanswered power tip from Gagate.
The defending champions drew level with lone season tormentor University of Sto. Tomas at the tip ahead of a pivotal rematch with National University on Sunday.
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