UAAP: La Salle coach rues lack of focus, leadership in loss to NU

De La Salle Lady Spikers. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

De La Salle was on the verge of a fifth-setter against National University on Wednesday as the Lady Spikers held a 20-14 lead in the fourth set, but the Lady Bulldogs’ closed them out for the win.

The Lady Bulldogs closed the set on an 11-3 run en route to a 25-16, 26-24, 14-25, 25-23 victory sending Lady Spikers head coach Ramil De Jesus and his team down the Mall of Asia tunnel with their heads down, thinking what went wrong.

READ: UAAP Volleyball: NU puts down La Salle in four sets

“Kulang na rin siguro sa tamang focus yung mga bata kasi madami dun makikita mo sariling errors lang eh, di naman pinalo yung bola mamatay, mga simpleng errors na nanggagaling sa players then sunud-sunod na,” De Jesus said as his team dropped to 2-1 in the UAAP Women’s Volleyball Tournament.

De Jesus was right in pointing out his team’s errors as the Lady Spikers committed 31 team errors while NU only had 22.

Making matters worse for La Salle in the fourth set was Myla Pablo’s clutch play for NU as she scored three, including the 24-23 match point, of the Lady Bulldogs’ last five points.

READ: Galang’s return sparks La Salle

De Jesus added it was the lack of leadership on the floor that further drove La Salle’s misery.

His team captain Kim Fajardo, De Jesus said, was “inconsistent” in her guiding her teammates and some of the players could’ve stepped up during the game.

“Hindi pa nila malaman kung sino mag lead sa team ngayon, inconsistent kasi yung leadership at makikita ito sa loob ng court, minsan andyan si Ara [Galang] pero marami namang seniors na dapat asahan,” De Jesus said.

“Actually dapat nag step up si Mika Reyes, then si Ara,” De Jesus said. “Alam natin capacity ni Ara at ni Kim. Sa ngayon di ko gusto nilaro ni Kim, parang mababa pinakita niyang performance playing-wise and leadership-wise.”