ALL roads lead to another chapter in the modern-day rivalry between La Salle and National U, with the UAAP Season 88 title hanging in the balance.
READ: Sweep-seeking La Salle spikers out to exorcise ghost of Season 76
Familiarity should only make this finals clash more intense, especially with both teams arriving at the big stage from contrasting paths.
National U has won two of their last three title meetings, including last season and that historic Season 84 sweep - a feat that La Salle is now on the cusp of matching.
UAAP SEASON 88 WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL FINALS
|
DATE |
TIME |
VENUE |
|
|
GAME 1 |
May 6 (Wednesday) |
5 p.m. |
Mall of Asia Arena |
|
GAME 2 |
May 9 (Saturday) |
5 p.m. (Awarding ceremony at 4 p.m.) |
Mall of Asia Arena |
|
GAME 3 (if necessary) |
May 13 (Wednesday) |
TBA |
Smart Araneta Coliseum |
The Lady Spikers enter the finals unbeaten at 14-0, just two wins away from completing a perfect season. But standing in their way is a battle-tested NU side that appears to be peaking at the right time.
Despite absorbing four losses earlier in the campaign, the Lady Bulldogs have rediscovered their rhythm heading into the finals, winning their last three games with a more settled rotation led by Lams Lamina and powered by Vange Alinsug, Arah Panique, Sam Cantada, Chams Maaya, and Alexa Mata.
READ: Lamina does Belen one better with 11th straight finals for NU
On the other side, La Salle will bank on its well-rested core of Angel Canino, Shevana Laput, Amie Provido, Eshana Nunag, Shane Reterta, and Lilay del Castillo.
The only question is whether that 17-day layoff sharpens the Lady Spikers or leaves them needing time to find their groove.
Ahead of another high-stakes showdown between Taft and Jhocson, and apprentice Regine Diego against her master Ramil de Jesus, a look back at their two elimination round meetings offers a glimpse of just how unpredictable this new-age rivalry can be.
ROUND 1: Rivalry turns green with breakthrough La Salle win
La Salle asserted its dominance very early this season by completing a flawless first-round sweep at National U's expense, 25-21, 25-19, 19-25, 25-17.
The victory sealed a spotless 7-0 first round for the Lady Spikers, their first perfect first round since Season 85 and reinforcing their status as the team to beat this season. It also snapped a five-game losing streak to NU since 2024, a hurdle that had loomed over the Taft-based squad in recent matchups.
La Salle leaned on a balanced attack to get the job done, with team captain Laput posting 19 points and eight digs, and former MVP Canino adding 14 points built on attacks, aces and a block.
Support also came from the middle, La Salle's finest asset for years, where Amie Provido delivered 12 points and rookie Vida Caringal chipped in nine in a starting role, helping offset the absence of key middle blocker Lilay del Castillo.
"Matagal naming pinaghandaan nito. Itong first round na 'to, hindi mo masasabi na ito na 'yun kasi mahaba 'yung tournament eh," said head coach Ramil de Jesus.
"Gulatan lang dito sa first round, and then second round, ayun na. Makikita na lahat ng mga teams kung paano gumalaw 'yung team. Basahan na kasi at makikita na kung anong adjustments gagawin sa kanya-kanyang teams."
On the other side, Cantada paced NU with 13 points despite not playing in the opening set, while Maaya and Marsh added 10 and nine points, respectively. However, the Lady Bulldogs struggled to find consistent production from their main hitters, with key scorers held to low efficiency.
With the sweep, La Salle not only gained momentum heading into the second round but also sent a strong message to the rest of the field. Even against the two-time defending champions, the Lady Spikers showed they have both the firepower and composure to dictate the pace of the title race.
ROUND 2: Dramatic finish halts National U's spoiler bid
La Salle capped off a historic elimination round run the hard way, surviving a gritty five-set battle against NU, 27-25, 15-25, 23-25, 25-23, 15-13, to complete a 14-0 sweep and clinch an outright finals berth.
The Lady Spikers were pushed to the brink by the defending champions, even staring at a 20-23 deficit in the fourth set before forcing a decider.
It was far from the dominant runs they had been known for, but La Salle leaned on composure and late-game execution to pull through what assistant coach Noel Orcullo described as an “ugly win,” one that still carried massive implications.
Shane Reterta led the charge with 21 points, 18 receptions, and 15 digs, while Canino delivered a triple-double effort of 15 points, 16 receptions, and 12 digs.
Laput and Provido added 16 and 15 markers, respectively, most of them coming in the crucial closing stretch as La Salle erased deficits and seized control late.
On the other side, NU showed why it remained a title threat despite the loss. Captain Vange Alinsug paced the Lady Bulldogs with 22 points, while Arah Panique and Maaya chipped in 19 and 15, respectively, as they repeatedly tested La Salle’s resolve and nearly denied the sweep.
The match, however, will be remembered as much for its ending as for its intensity. With La Salle ahead 14-13 in the fifth, a chaotic final rally led to an initial four-touch call against the Lady Spikers.
RDJ challenged for a block touch, which was deemed unsuccessful, but the review uncovered a separate infraction, a net touch by NU’s Panique.
According to UAAP officials, the referee exercised discretionary authority to call the net touch, which occurred while the ball was still in play, thus taking precedence over the supposed four-touch violation.
That ruling awarded La Salle the final point and sealed both the match and the sweep, even as confusion and debate erupted among fans and observers.
In the end, controversy aside, the result stood. La Salle not only secured its first 14-game elimination sweep in 12 years but also advanced straight to the finals, triggering a stepladder format for the rest of the field and positioning itself for a long-awaited return to the top.
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