On-target Lady Spikers to defend UAAP crown against Lady Tamaraws

Like the juggernaut that it is, two-time defending champion La Salle crushed National University Sunday as it barreled its way into a 10th straight Finals stint in UAAP women’s volleyball.

With a potent system and smarts that marked their campaigns the past decade, the Lady Spikers punished the hapless Lady Bulldogs, 27-25, 25-22, 25-11, in their semifinal match at Mall of Asia Arena.

But unlike the past six seasons, La Salle will dispute the crown not against archrival Ateneo but opposite title-hungry Far Eastern University, which made the best-of-three championship series on Saturday.

They will go at each other’s throats for the first time since 2009, when La Salle took the crown and FEU last made the Finals. Game 1 will be on Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

La Salle encountered a minor hitch in the first set when it trailed 12-7.

“At the start of the match, we were very tight,” said La Salle coach Ramil de Jesus in Filipino. “I told the players to get out of the box and not limit ourselves to what we can do.”

Turned out that was all the Lady Bulldogs can do as they mimicked their season where they rocked the field with a 6-1 record in the first round of eliminations only to lose all but one of their succeeding games.

Ironically, NU advanced to the Final Four after La Salle slammed the door on Adamson, which could’ve forced a playoff with the Lady Bulldogs for the last semifinals seat had it prevailed over the Lady Spikers.

NU’s 6-foot-5 star, Jaja Santiago, ended her collegiate career with a whimper. Despite being the most dominant player in the league for years, she failed to give the Lady Bulldogs a championship.

She finished with 17 points and was in tears as La Salle celebrated on center court.
In men’s action, NU barged into its sixth straight Final after besting University of Santo Tomas, 25-13, 25-13, 31-29. It will face the winner between Ateneo and FEU which will settle their Final Four duel this Wednesday.

La Salle’s Kim Kiana Dy said their performance all season—including a nine-game winning streak—would be “back to zero” when they take on the Lady Tamaraws.

“We should start preparing for the finals,” said Dy.