La Salle, UST seek 2nd straight win
THE UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament resumes today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum where the winners during the opening weekend compete against each other.
Defending champion De La Salle University and University of Santo Tomas (UST), the teams with the most impressive victories last timeout, seek their second straight win against separate opponents.
The Lady Spikers face the FEU Lady Tamaraws at 2 p.m. while the Golden Tigresses take on the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors at 4 p.m.
Despite losing players from its starting up last season to the pros, La Salle proved that it can still dominate after trashing the Adamson Lady Falcons 25-16, 25-16, 25-18 last Saturday, giving coach Ramil de Jesus his 300th overall win in the tourney.
As usual, reigning MVP Angel Canino led the way for the tall and lengthy Lady Spikers with Shevana Laput, Amie Provido and Thea Gagate providing ample support.
De Jesus wants his players from the setter and libero positions to also come through.
“I can see that this team needs more jelling, especially when it comes to the setter and libero positions. Our setter [Mars Alba] and libero [Justine Jazarano] last year are hard to replace,” said de Jesus, who delegated the setter and captain positions to Julia Coronel.
Lyka de Leon and Krystal Hernandez, meanwhile, share the libero positions.
“It’s hard to make a set if the liberos’ pass isn’t good. Last year we had a solid libero and setter so now we have to adjust well in those positions,” said de Jesus, whose team faces an FEU squad that defeated UP 25-23, 25-21, 25-18 last Saturday.
Meanwhile, Golden Tigresses head coach Emilio “Kung Fu” Reyes tipped his hats off to the Lady Red Warriors led by Casiey Dongallo who erupted for a rookie debut record 27 points against the Ateneo Blue Eagles last Saturday.
“That team is composed of many players from California Academy. They’re young but they have a wealthy experience. In a way, they’re seasoned players already so you cannot underestimate them because they’re going to come for you,” said Reyes of the Lady Red Warriors.
While the Jerry Yee coached-UE team was coming off a 20-25, 2518, 25-23, 25-18 win, Reyes and the Golden Tigresses, at the start of the post-Eya Laure era, stunned the NU Lady Bulldogs 25-23, 2522, 25-18 last Sunday.
Spikers Jonna Perdido, Regina Jurado and Angeline Poyos stepped up as well as setter Cassie Carballo to lead UST to the triumph.
“On our part, we’re going to give them (the Lady Warriors) respect. We’re going to prepare for them. We saw how they played. There’s no more secret [between the two teams]. We saw each other’s games. This one will boil down to the team with a stronger resolve.”