La Salle stays unblemished, rallies past NU to punch Finals ticket
At A Glance
- De La Salle University dug deep and rallied past reigning champion National University in a classic five-set thriller, 27-25, 15-25, 23-25, 25-23, 15-13, to secure an outright Finals berth in the UAAP Season 88 women's volleyball tournament at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City Sunday evening, April 19.
La Salle's Angel Canino (UAAP Media)
De La Salle University dug deep and rallied past reigning champion National University in a classic five-set thriller, 27-25, 15-25, 23-25, 25-23, 15-13, to secure an outright Finals berth in the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City Sunday evening, April 19.
Down 1-2, the Lady Spikers regained the tempo and took the fourth set behind the efforts of Angel Canino, Amie Provido, and Shane Reterta. It was Shevana Laput, however, who rose to the occasion in the fifth – extended by team and referee challenges – delivering timely plays to seal their repeat win over the Lady Bulldogs.
Apart from an elimination round sweep and an immaculate 14-0 card, the Lady Spikers go directly to the finale and set up a stepladder format where the Lady Bulldogs (9-4), the Adamson Lady Falcons (9-5), and the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses (8-5) or the Far Eastern University (7-6) duke it out for the other finals slot.
It was more than a decade ago in Season 76 where La Salle achieved the same feat, but fell short to the eventual champion in the Alyssa Valdez-led Ateneo Blue Eagles.