Cobb stars as La Salle halts late UP rally to stay unbeaten

Sophomore Michelle Cobb played heroine for De La Salle as she helped the defending champion finish off University of the Philippines, 25-21, 25-22, 26-24, in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament Saturday at Filoil Flying V Centre.

With La Salle trailing 24-23, Cobb scored three straight service aces ending the Lady Maroons’ rebellion and sending the Lady Spikers to a 2-0 card.

UP built a 23-19 buffer and looked to force a fifth set after Diana Carlos and Clarice Ramos teamed up for a block.

Desiree Cheng would score off UP’s blockade and Aduke Ogunsanya followed it up with a service ace that trimmed the margin to two, 23-21.

After UP got the 24-21 set point, reigning MVP and captain Mary Joy Baron displayed a queenly poise and kept La Salle’s fight alive with an off-speed kill cutting the deficit to 24-22.

Ironically, it was UP’s Isa Molde who would usher the Lady Maroons’ doom with an error that allowed La Salle to creep in 24-23.

“I told them that UP is not an easy opponent to beat, but you even though it was almost impossible to win the team still pulled it off,” said La Salle head coach Ramil De Jesus in Filipino.

“My team just needed to display the maturity needed to win the game.”

Cobb not only executed the team’s offense with 32 excellent sets but she also did a little dirty work with 10 points, the same scoring production as open spiker Desiree Cheng.

Kianna Dy and Tin Tiamzon were the ones who paced La Salle in scoring with 13 points apiece.

Carlos had 19 points to lead the 1-1 Lady Maroons while Molde added 10.