UAAP: La Salle crushes UE for best elimination round finish since Season 76

La Salle Lady Spikers in the UAAP Season 85. –UAAP PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Bracing for a tougher road ahead, La Salle wasted no effort in pulverizing University of the East in straight sets, 25-17, 25-20, 25-17, on Saturday at the end of its elimination-round campaign in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament.

“We cannot afford to relax. We want to maintain our performance at a high level as we approach the semifinals,’’ said La Salle assistant coach Noel Orcollo after the Lady Spikers progressed to the Final Four armed with a twice-to-beat bonus being the No. 1 squad after the preliminary phase.

Angel Canino scored 13 points, highlighted by nine attacks, while Jolina Dela Cruz and Alleiah Malaluan added eight and six points each as the Lady Spikers absorbed only a single defeat out of 14 games, their best finish since Season 76 where they swept the eliminations.

“We’re looking forward to the semis. We will come in prepared regardless of who we face,’’ said Canino, who also had eight receptions, two blocks and a pair of aces.

Since the National University Lady Bulldogs secured the No. 2 spot and the other twice-to-beat protection, the Lady Spikers will meet either University of Santo Tomas and Adamson, who are locked in a tie at 9-4, in the Final Four.

KC Cepada scored 16 points built on 15 attacks and had one block and Vanessa Bangayan tallied 10 points, nine digs and an ace for the Lady Warriors, who closed out their season with a 1-13 record, their lone victory at the expense of the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons.

The rankings in the semifinals will be finalized on Sunday when the UST Tigresses face the Lady Maroons and the Adamson Lady Falcons tackle the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws.