De La Salle bucked a slow start and survived defending champion National University in five thrilling sets, 18-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-21, 15-13, in Game 1 of their best-of-three finals series in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament on Sunday, May 7, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. *Angel Canino reacts after scoring for the DLSU Lady Spikers. (UAAP Media)*
The Lady Spikers brushed off the Lady Bulldogs’ aggressive start before the roaring 10,995 crowd and moved one win away from snatching the UAAP title. Angel Canino topscored for La Salle after dropping 21 points on 19 attacks and two services aces laced by 14 excellent receptions. The Lady Bulldogs pulled away midway through the set after turning their slim 6-5 advantage into a 21-12 lead following Belen’s powerful attack from the back row. Before La Salle could stage any claim of the first set, NU got all up in its arms and took the first set. After their ninth deadlock of 18-all in the second set, though, the Lady Spikers finally found their tempo to equalize the match at one set apiece. La Salle couldn’t ride the momentum of the second set and was down big, 14-6, in the third, but pulled itself within three 23-20 after Gagate’s quick attack. However, Canino’s attempt went long which put NU at set point, 24-20. Alleiah Malaluan then denied Bella Belen at the net before Canino scored off a combination play to trim the deficit back to two. But Belen hammered down a crosscourt hit as La Salle trails NU by a set. The fourth set saw an unfazed La Salle, which raced to its biggest lead of the match at 17-10. Just as the Lady Spikers were about to pull away for good, the Lady Bulldogs responded with a 10-5 run to pick itself back up, 22-20. But a Canino crosscourt hit and Gagate’s solo block on Alyssa Solomon put La Salle at set point. Vange Alinsug fought back with an off-the-block point but Belen went wide in the next rally, which allowed La Salle to drag the match into a sudden death. After similarly going back and forth in the final set, the Lady Spikers momentarily pulled away with a 10-6 run. But the Lady Bulldogs were quick to tie the crawl back with a 3-0 run of their own. La Salle then rushed back into the action and took another three-point lead of 12-9 following Gagate’s dominance in the middle. With La Salle on the verge of the match point, 13-12, Sheena Toring landed on Gagate’s left foot and had to be helped off the court as she clutched her left knee. The point was replayed after NU’s challenge but Canino was quick on her feet and sent La Salle to the match point with another crosscourt attack. Belen saved a point with an off-the-block hit but Chams Maaya’s following attack didn’t go over the net, ending NU’s late surge. “Masaya nakuha namin ‘yong Game 1 kahit papaano pinaghirapan. Siguro talagang ginusto ng mga bata manalo. [We were] down two sets to one. Game 1 pa lang to. Hindi pa tapos. Basta ang goal namin makuha ang Game 2 [for the championship title],” said La Salle assistant coach Noel Orcullo. Solomon and Belen led the way for the reigning champion with 28 and 22 points, respectively, in the losing cause. La Salle will go all out for the championship title when it faces NU on Sunday, May 14, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.