Lady Spikers take Game 1 as errors hound Lady Tams
Published Apr 28, 2018 12:00 am
By Jerome Lagunzad
Games Wednesday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
12 noon – NU vs Ateneo
(Game 2, NU leads series 1-0)
4 p.m. — La Salle vs FEU (Women’s)
(Game 2, La Salle leads series 1-0)
La Salle's Kim Dy (11) against FEU's Bernadeth Pons (MB photo | Rio Leonelle Deluvio)Defending champion La Salle pounced on error-plagued Far Eastern University, 29-27, 25-21, 25-22, last night to inch closer toward a third straight crown in UAAP women’s volleyball at the packed Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The Lady Spikers absorbed the best the Lady Tamaraws could offer in a back-and-forth encounter in the opening set then showed the composure and poise in the next two frames to gain the upper hand in the best-of-three titular showdown.
Former Finals MVP Kim Dy had a team-high 10 points while May Luna provided a big spark off the bench with nine points, most of them coming in the decisive set that enabled La Salle to recover from a 15-12 deficit and close it out in just an hour and 33 minutes before 14,293 screaming spectators.
“May tiwala lang talaga ako sa kanila at alam kong magde-deliver kahit sino pa ang ipasok ko. Ganun kalaki ang tiwala ko sa mga players ko,” said Lady Spikers coach Ramil de Jesus, who is gunning for his 11th overall title.
FEU’s Heather Guino-o led all scorers with 14 points but the Tamaraws hardly gave themselves any favor after they made 34 errors, half of them coming in the opening set where they even took a 26-25 lead, only to crumble under immense pressure with back-to-back service give-aways.
“Kung hindi namin nakuha yung first set, hindi magkakaganito,” said De Jesus, heaving a sigh. “Kahit malayo o lamang ka na, hindi ka makakasiguro sa kanila. Bumabalik talaga sila.”
La Salle can complete its “three-peat” bid with another victory on Wednesday at the same venue.
Earlier, National University overwhelmed three-time defending champion Ateneo with its rock-solid defense for a masterful 25-20, 25-19, 25-23 victory to close in on the men’s volleyball crown.
Bryan Bagunas and James Martin Natividad did most of the damage on the offensive end with 36 combined points, but it was the Bulldogs’ defense, anchored on Madz Gampong, which spelled the difference in scoring a straight-sets victory in just one hour and 13 minutes.
The 5-foot-10 Gampong came up with five of the team’s 13 kill blocks and finished with 11 points while Natividad also added three swats, the last of them coming at the expense of the four-time league MVP Marck Espejo that put NU at matchpoint at 24-22.
La Salle's Kim Dy (11) against FEU's Bernadeth Pons (MB photo | Rio Leonelle Deluvio)Defending champion La Salle pounced on error-plagued Far Eastern University, 29-27, 25-21, 25-22, last night to inch closer toward a third straight crown in UAAP women’s volleyball at the packed Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The Lady Spikers absorbed the best the Lady Tamaraws could offer in a back-and-forth encounter in the opening set then showed the composure and poise in the next two frames to gain the upper hand in the best-of-three titular showdown.
Former Finals MVP Kim Dy had a team-high 10 points while May Luna provided a big spark off the bench with nine points, most of them coming in the decisive set that enabled La Salle to recover from a 15-12 deficit and close it out in just an hour and 33 minutes before 14,293 screaming spectators.
“May tiwala lang talaga ako sa kanila at alam kong magde-deliver kahit sino pa ang ipasok ko. Ganun kalaki ang tiwala ko sa mga players ko,” said Lady Spikers coach Ramil de Jesus, who is gunning for his 11th overall title.
FEU’s Heather Guino-o led all scorers with 14 points but the Tamaraws hardly gave themselves any favor after they made 34 errors, half of them coming in the opening set where they even took a 26-25 lead, only to crumble under immense pressure with back-to-back service give-aways.
“Kung hindi namin nakuha yung first set, hindi magkakaganito,” said De Jesus, heaving a sigh. “Kahit malayo o lamang ka na, hindi ka makakasiguro sa kanila. Bumabalik talaga sila.”
La Salle can complete its “three-peat” bid with another victory on Wednesday at the same venue.
Earlier, National University overwhelmed three-time defending champion Ateneo with its rock-solid defense for a masterful 25-20, 25-19, 25-23 victory to close in on the men’s volleyball crown.
Bryan Bagunas and James Martin Natividad did most of the damage on the offensive end with 36 combined points, but it was the Bulldogs’ defense, anchored on Madz Gampong, which spelled the difference in scoring a straight-sets victory in just one hour and 13 minutes.
The 5-foot-10 Gampong came up with five of the team’s 13 kill blocks and finished with 11 points while Natividad also added three swats, the last of them coming at the expense of the four-time league MVP Marck Espejo that put NU at matchpoint at 24-22.