La Salle ousts Adamson to lock up twice-to-beat; NU advances

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

De La Salle secured a twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals after dismantling Adamson University, 25-21, 25-15, 22-25, 25-18, in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre.

The Lady Spikers locked the top seed with an 11-2 record after their seventh straight win and also denied the Lady Falcons’ bid to advance to the Final Four.

Adamson’s loss, which brought the team down to 5-8, meant that National University secured the last Final Four spot.

The Lady Spikers pulled out all the stops late in the fourth set, mounting a 9-1 run to close out the match.

Kianna Dy powered through for a gorgeous down-the-line kill that put the Lady Spikers at the 24-18 match point before Desiree Cheng ended Adamson’s season with a soul-crushing ace.

Despite seven straight wins under his team’s name, La Salle head coach Ramil De Jesus said  the Lady Spikers are not peaking even before the start of the Final Four.

“We’re on the right pace heading into the Final Four,” said De Jesus, whose team is heading to its 10th postseason.

Dy put up 17 points to lead the defending champions while Cheng and reigning MVP Mary Joy Baron added 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Eli Soyud led the Lady Falcons with 17 points while the graduating Jema Galanza finished with 12 points.