La Salle’s championship poise again came in full show. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ
La Salle coach Ramil De Jesus didn’t like how his Lady Spikers let the game almost slip.
But then again, De Jesus thought it might be the kind of match the defending champions needed.
La Salle survived Far Eastern University, 25-22, 25-17, 24-26, 23-25, 15-7, to streak to its third straight win in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
“I always tell the team that even though they got the first two sets, we will lag behind in the third set,” said De Jesus in Filipino. “It’s fairly easy to score the first 24 points, but it’s very difficult to get that last one.”
“These five-set matches are good because we can already see what needs to be fixed and it’s really a test for the team’s character.”
The Lady Spikers, who tied National University on top at 3-0, sent the Lady Tamaraws skidding to their second straight loss after an opening-day win.
After trading blows with FEU for a 5-5 tie in the fifth set, the Lady Spikers turned up the heat and went on a 10-2 run to end the match with Michelle Cobb connecting with Desiree Cheng for the sharp kill.
La Salle’s first semblance of disparity in the fifth set was its 12-6 lead when Aduke Ogunsanya brushed off Jeanette Villareal’s attempt.
La Salle already had a 24-22 advantage in the third set and needed just one point to finish off FEU. But Kianna Dy’s first attempt to end the match went out of bounds.
Dy’s second attempt got blocked and Villareal denied Ogunsanya that gave FEU the 25-24 lead before Bernadeth Pons calmly scored the Lady Tamaraws’ 26th point of the third set.
Adamson, though, wasted no time and stunned University of the Philippines, 25-9, 27-25, 25-20, in the other game.
The Lady Falcons soared to their second straight win for a 2-1 card, already eclipsing their one-win total from Season 79, while the Lady Maroons slipped to their second straight loss and a 1-2 record.
“It feels good, because last year was really tough for us and only winning one game it was hard so getting our second win, we’ve already our record and it feels good,” said Adamson coach Air Padda. “It shows that there’s been growth in the program and our team is not a pushover from last year.”
With the Lady Falcons up two sets to none and holding a 23-18 lead in the third, Diana Carlos managed to score two straight points to cut the margin to three, 23-20, and give UP a semblance of fight.
Carlos’ back-to-back hits prompted Padda to call time, and Jema Galanza calmed her mentor down with a pinpoint kill that went through UP’s defense and put the Lady Falcons at the 24-20 match point.
UP’s Marian Buitre then gave Adamson the win when she failed to get the ball over from her side of the floor.
Adamson had eight service aces in the first set alone.