UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament finals
Games on Saturday
(Mall of Asia Arena)
11 a.m. – Men’s Awarding Ceremony
Noon – NU vs FEU (Men’s Finals)
4 p.m. – Women’s Awarding Ceremony
5 p.m. – NU vs DLSU (Women’s Finals)
UNBEATEN De La Salle University (DLSU) rained arrows down on back-to-back reigning champion National University (NU) with a 25-23, 25-18, 25-18 ambush to move one step shy of a sweet 16-0 sweep in the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball finals in front of over 15,000 fans on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The DLSU Lady Spikers erased a 16-19 deficit in the homestretch of the first set to dictate the tempo and just broke free in the next two for a convincing Game 1 win of the best-of-three titular showdown, their 15th in as many games to zero in on a rare UAAP perfection.
La Salle came so close to scoring a similar season sweep in 2014 but the then emerging force in Ateneo de Manila University led by the phenom Alyssa Valdez pulled off an upset for the ages by overcoming a thrice-to-win disadvantage to deny the wards of coach Ramil de Jesus a four-peat.
Twelve years later and La Salle is now a win away from exorcising that ghost for a fitting vindication and a sweet redemption to topple an opponent’s dynasty this time around after a bridesmaid finish in two of their previous three title showdowns against NU, ironically the last team to sweep the UAAP in 2022.
Mr. de Jesus is chasing a 13th title in his 21st finals appearance with La Salle as the country’s winningest volleyball program this generation, in his fourth Last Dance with NU led by different coaches.
Former Rookie-MVP Angel Canino, who led them to a lone title win against NU in their modern rivalry in Season 85, spearheaded the charge with 17 points on 15 hits as La Salle shrugged off rust after last playing more than two weeks ago.
Amie Provido added 14 points while skipper Shevana Laput and Shane Reterta cashed in 11 points each in the Lady Spikers’ mastery of the Lady Bulldogs in only 97 minutes of play.
It was a far cry from La Salle’s five-setter escape act from NU in the penultimate playdate of the eliminations to earn an outright finals berth and turn the traditional Final Four play to a rare stepladder format.
NU came out on top of that stepladder play with a four-set win against the fourth-ranked University of Santo Tomas, which stunned No. 3 Adamson University in the first stage. And that was on full display after controlling the pace in the first set with a lead as big as 19-16.
But La Salle was just too determined, staging an 8-2 rally to snatch a 24-21 lead on its way to a 1-0 set lead that snowballed to an easier second-set victory.
In the end, it was the Lady Spikers’ defense as the No. 1 blocking team that spelled the difference after clawing back from a rough 0-4 start anew in the third set behind a scintillating 23-11 run capped by Ms. Provido’s solo block to seize command at 23-15 heading home.
Led by Ms. Provido’s four blocks, the Lady Spikers limited super rookie Sam Cantada to just two points on a dismal one-of-18 spiking efficiency as Arah Panique and Vange Alinsug were the lone Lady Bulldogs fighting with 18 and 12 points, respectively.
“But we should not be in cloud nine just yet. We’re one step closer to the goal,” vowed Ms. Canino.
Earlier, dynastic titleholder NU Bulldogs turned back the top-ranked Far Eastern University (FEU), 25-21, 19-25, 21-25, 25-20, 15-8, to take the opener and beef up its drive for a sixth straight championship.
Alas Pilipinas stalwarts Leo Ordiales, Jade Disquitado and Buds Buddin served as a lethal troika when it mattered once again with 22, 21 and 20 points, respectively, as the Bulldogs moved closer to their eighth title in the last 11 seasons for an extension of master tactician Dante Alinsunurin’s dynasty.
NU did, re-asserting mastery of FEU in the big stage anew after a 28-26, 17-25, 24-26, 25-11, 15-8, in the second round to deny FEU a 14-0 sweep and an outright finals berth.
Dryx Saavedra (20), Mikko Espartero (14), Amet Bituin (14) and Congolese middle blocker Doula Ndongala (10) had their usual numbers alongside team captain Ariel Cacao’s 28 sets but the Tamaraws still fell short in hurdling the Bulldogs’ hurdle after a near flawless campaign in the elims.
FEU last season also snatched Game 1 from NU to hand its first finals defeat in a dynastic run only to lose steam in the next two games. The wards of coach Eddieson Orcullo are hoping to flip the script this time around with a comeback of their own. — John Bryan Ulanday
