UAAP volleyball: La Salle survives FEU in five set thriller

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

De La Salle needed five sets to regain its composure as it held back Far Eastern University, 25-14, 25-9, 22-25, 19-25, 15-7, to go back to winning ways in the UAAP Season 78 women’s volleyball tournament Saturday at San Juan Arena.

Cyd Demecillo erupted in the fifth set scoring four of the Lady Spikers last five points while substitute Ernestine Tiamzon finished it off with a through-the-block attack for her lone point of the match to give La Salle a 6-2 record.

Lady Spikers head coach Ramil De Jesus said the FEU they faced in the final three sets is the typical FEU after La Salle squandered its two set lead.

READ: UAAP: UST shocks La Salle in straight sets

“Iyon talaga FEU, first two sets di sila naka receive, nasira defense nila and most of the time na sa amin attack,” De Jesus said. “Itong third and fourth set na dominate naman kami sa atake at kami namand di makapasok.”

“Hindi kami naka depensa sa third and fourth sets at halos lahat ng palo ng FEU lumulusot sa block namin tapos wala rin sa baba, dumami rin unforced errors.”

La Salle raced to an 8-2 lead in the fifth set with Ara Galang’s service ace and the margin was just too big for the Lady Tamaraws to crash.

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De Jesus and company avenged their bitter loss against University of Santo Tomas at the end of the first round where they got swept a game after they beat archrivals Ateneo.

Kim Dy led La Salle with 14 points while Galang and Mary Joy Baron had 13 points, apiece.

Crunch time heroine Demecillo tallied 12 points on her own.

Bernadeth Pons had a game-high 23 points for the 4-4 Lady Tamaraws while Toni Rose Basas and Mary Palma added 14 and 11 points, respectively.