La Salle keeps unbeaten UST in mind, even after rallying past rival NU

La Salle’s Angel Canino, right, and Shevana Laput in the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

There’s no secret which playdate in the second round the La Salle Lady Spikers have encircled in their calendars.

The lone defeat of the defending champions in the first round of the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament is something they keep mentioning, even if they are already four wins removed from that collapse.

Angel Canino was the latest Lady Spiker to reference that loss to University of Santo Tomas (UST), using it as proof of the downfall created by one of sports’ mortal sins

SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball second round

“The key lesson here is not to be overconfident even if you’re ahead,’’ said Canino after fueling La Salle’s survival act against National University, 15-25, 25-19, 18-25, 25-19, 15-12, on Saturday night at the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament.

It seemed like Canino was sharing the lesson to the Lady Bulldogs, who took the first set and were on the verge of victory after taking a 2-1 set lead. But Canino clarified the statement later.

“It happened to us against UST. We were ahead, but we lost,” last year’s Rookie-Most Valuable Player winner said. “This was the biggest lesson for us.”

READ: Angel Canino, La Salle display championship mettle vs NU

Canino unleashed six of her 14 attacks against NU in the final set, which proved pivotal in the victory.

Her heroics capped a rally by the Lady Spikers, who kept the faith with a hawkish mindset.

“When you’re down, you have to fight for every point and show what you have,” Canino said. “But it’s not only about heart and pride, you also have to match the skills of your opponent.”

The ghost La Salle is chasing continued rolling on later Saturday evening, smoothing out a second-set hiccup on the way to a sweep of its first-round schedule.

Tigresses triumph

UST Tigresses in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament. –UAAP PHOTO

Shrugging off its blocking troubles, the Tigresses held off the stubborn Adamson Lady Falcons, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15, 28-26.

The Tigresses had an array of scorers to rescue them from long dry spells and their oft-shaky defense at the net—two faults that a tall and powerful La Salle squad would like a second crack at.

The Lady Spikers showed their power and offensive depth against NU, with Shevana Laput exploiting her length to the hilt by smashing 18 attacks out of a season-best 20 points.

“We really had to fight for it. I’m really thankful for the trust that my teammates put on me. But this is not just me, it’s the whole team,’’ said Laput.

Amie Provido came up with her best performance this season with 14 points, including five off blocks that proved critical against the Lady Bulldogs’ power hitters.

Julia Coronel effectively orchestrated La Salle’s offense with 22 excellent sets while Lyka de Leon shielded them from NU’s fireballs with 14 receptions and 11 digs.

“We knew that it will not be easy. We expected this. We just held on and stayed within the system,’’ said La Salle assistant coach Noel Orcullo.