The De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers wrapped up Round 1 of the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball with a statement, hunting down the erstwhile upswept Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws in a 25-17, 25-20, 25-22 sweep. In a battle between two streaking teams, La Salle broke FEU’s three-game winning run with a 25-17, 25-20, 25-22 sweep. It was a game of power, precision, and poise as the Lady Spikers showcased a well-oiled system that left the Lady Tamaraws struggling to keep up.
FEU may have drawn first blood, but that was the last time they dictated the pace. After a brief 1-0 lead by the Lady Tamaraws, La Salle responded with a blistering 5-0 run, immediately forcing FEU to burn an early timeout at 5-1. But the damage was done. Shevana Laput’s block party had begun, and FEU’s frontline looked helpless against the Lady Spikers’ wall. Coming out of the timeout, FEU couldn’t stop the bleeding, as La Salle piled on two more quick points to go up 7-1.
Laput put on an early show, rejecting an FEU attack at the net before serving up an ace that pushed the lead to 10-4. FEU finally found a spark through Jean Asis who glimmered resistance, showing off some swagger of her own. After scoring off a La Salle block, Asis celebrated with a twirl, signaling that FEU wasn’t ready to bow out just yet, but Angel Canino instantly shut down any momentum, delivering a swagger-fueled backrow kill that had the La Salle crowd roaring at 11-5.
Despite their reputation as the top blocking team in the league before the battle, FEU’s net defense was shockingly ineffective, struggling to contain La Salle’s well-distributed offense. With Malaluan, Laput, and Amie Provido all finding ways to score, the Lady Spikers extended their lead to 20-12 after back-to-back FEU errors.
By the mid-set, the Lady Spikers were in full control. Mikole Reyes, entrusted with playmaking duties, orchestrated a balanced attack that saw Malaluan and Laput hammering through FEU’s fragile defense. La Salle’s suffocating block touch defense prevented the Lady Tamaraws from finding their rhythm, with Malaluan striking a powerful down-the-line kill at 24-17, setting up a set point. Fittingly, Laput hammered the final nail with a monster kill block to seal the first set at 25-17.
The second set was a test of composure for both teams. FEU, desperate to shake off their sluggish start, managed to keep pace early, trading blows with La Salle. Amie Provido got La Salle on the board with a smart middle dump to level the score at 1-1.
FEU relied on Faida Bakanke to keep them in the fight, but it quickly became Canino vs. Bakanke at the net, and the La Salle outside hitter won nearly every battle. Canino delivered a devastating down-the-line attack, evening the score at 5-5, before sending another laser at 6-6. FEU was scrambling.
La Salle finally gained control at 9-8 after an overpass from FEU led to an easy put-away. From there, the Lady Spikers never trailed again. A miscommunication on FEU’s side gifted La Salle a 14-10 lead, and an off-the-block kill by Canino extended the cushion to 17-13.
But just as La Salle looked poised to pull away, FEU launched a four-point surge, trimming the deficit to just one at 20-19. Sensing the shift, Coach Ramil de Jesus called for time. Whatever was said in the huddle worked like a charm—Laput came out swinging, landing a thunderous cross-court hit at 21-19.
A sharp-angle strike from Laput widened the gap at 22-19, and when FEU committed a net violation at 23-19, their fate was all but sealed. One final attack error by FEU ended the set at 25-20, putting La Salle firmly in control with a 2-0 lead.
The Lady Tamaraws came out swinging in the third set, taking advantage of La Salle’s shaky start, which included an attack error, a miscue, and a reception mistake that gave FEU an early 3-1 lead.
Despite falling behind 9-5, La Salle quickly responded with a four-point burst, highlighted by Laput’s devastating pipe attack and an FEU overpass error, tying the game at 12-all. A failed one-two play by FEU handed La Salle their first lead of the set at 13-12, and from there, the game became a thrilling seesaw battle.
A perfectly timed block touch from FEU allowed La Salle to regain the lead at 18-17, and Laput followed it up with another cross-court rocket, making it 19-18.
Then came the finishing blows. Malaluan, stepping up in crunch time, delivered back-to-back aces, pushing La Salle ahead at 22-19. Laput redeemed an earlier attack error with a smart push over the blockers, making it 23-21. With FEU desperately hanging on, their hopes crumbled after a net violation at 24-21, handing La Salle match point.
Fittingly, setter Mikole Reyes ended the night with a sneaky one-two play, catching the FEU blockers off guard and sealing La Salle’s hard-fought 25-22 win.
With this sweep, the Lady Spikers ended Round 1 with a scorching four-game winning streak, proving that they are a force to be reckoned with.Shevana Laput led the charge once again, delivering 22 points off 18 attacks, 3 blocks, and 1 ace, continuing her dominant form after recording her career-best performance in La Salle’s previous game against the Ateneo Blue Eagles.
Setter Mikole Reyes orchestrated La Salle’s offense with 20 excellent sets while also contributing 1 point off 1 attack in just three sets. Alleiah Malaluan had a well-rounded performance, tallying 12 points from 7 attacks, 1 block, and 4 aces, while also showcasing her defensive prowess with 8 excellent digs. Meanwhile, Angel Canino provided stability on both ends, scoring 10 points from 10 attacks and anchoring La Salle’s floor defense with 7 excellent digs and 8 excellent receptions.
For FEU, it was a frustrating finish to what had been a strong round. The Lady Tamaraws entered the match riding high on a three-game winning streak, but La Salle exposed their weaknesses, particularly in defensive coordination and unforced errors.
For the Lady Spikers, the road ahead looks promising. With their explosive offense, rock-solid defense, and undeniable team chemistry, they’ve sent a clear message to the rest of the league: La Salle is back, and they’re not slowing down anytime soon.
ANIMO LA SALLE!
