UAAP: La Salle mounts big rally in third, beats UST for 9-0 mark
La Salle’s Angel Canino celebrates during a win over UST in UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament.–UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — La Salle dug deep in the third set to stave off a gritty University of Santo Tomas side, 25-12, 18-25, 25-23, 25-14, to inch closer to a Final Four berth in the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Down by eight, 20-12, in a pivotal third set, the Lady Spikers regained their form and outscored the Tigresses, 9-1, to tie it at 21.
READ: UAAP: La Salle renews UST rivalry with No. 9 in sight
La Salle coach Ramil De Jesus, Shane Reterta, and Shevana Laput after turning back UST. #UAAPSeason88 @inquirersports pic.twitter.com/gklpKHCzyn
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) March 25, 2026
UST reclaimed the lead, 23-21, thanks to Reg Jurado and an attack error by Shevana Laput before La Salle strung up four consecutive points, capped by an Angel Canino point to complete the comeback.
With momentum back on their side, the Lady Spikers continued their scoring surge in the fourth, zooming to a 7-0 lead which ballooned to 23-12.
“During the third set, I reminded the players that since the opponent was aggressive, we had to fight for every situation,” said La Salle coach Ramil De Jesus. “If things weren’t going the way we expected, we just had to find a way. Keep fighting until we win each point. It worked. We slowly chipped away at the score until we reached the endgame.”
Canino powered the Lady Spikers to a 9-0 record with 17 points, seven digs, and five receptions. Laput added 14 points, while Reterta tallied 10 points and 15 excellent receptions.
Amie Provido and Del Castillo contributed nine and seven points, respectively, with Eshana Nunag dishing out 20 excellent sets. Libero Lyka De Leon tallied 11 digs and 10 excellent receptions.
“UST executed their plays really well, which is why our blocking broke down. Individually, they played great, you could see their speed, execution, and the setter’s decision-making. Their connection was strong. We just needed to adjust by the third set,” De Jesus said. “We managed to respond. The players showed more heart and fought harder.”
READ: UAAP: UST makes it 3 straight ahead of La Salle duel
UST saw its three-game winning streak snapped as it slid to fourth place with a 5-4 card despite another 20-point game from Angge Poyos. The MVP frontrunner also had 12 receptions and seven digs.
Jurado recorded 12 points. Blessing Unekwe played her best game yet with eight points, while Cassie Carballo had 19 excellent sets and scored seven.
