Lady Spikers rip Warriors
In-form La Salle ripped University of the East to shreds, 25-8, 25-14, 25-12, to clinch the first Final Four seat in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tourney at the Filoil Flying V Center yesterday.
Showcasing their most dominant form yet, the mighty Lady Spikers didn’t give the Lady Warriors a chance for an upset, landing attacks nearly at will and putting a virtually impenetrable defensive wall to run away with their ninth win against two losses and beat everyone to the draw in the semis race.
“Nasa number one na kami, sabi ni coach, huwag na kaming bumitiw, kailangan di mawala sa focus, kahit sino kalaban, kailangan 100 percent focused (We’re already at No. 1 and coach told us we should hold on to it; we need to stay 100 percent focused regardless of who we’re playing),” said libero Dawn Macandili, who had 19 excellent digs and five excellent receptions to lead the DLSU defense.
The Lady Spikers, indeed, were focused and at their sharpest versus the hapless the Lady Warriors, holding now eliminated UE (2-9) to only 34 points in the one-sided encounter where they stormed to big leads in each set, 16-5 in the first, 21-11 in the second and 9-0 in the third.
The Taft-based volleybelles had 39 attacks while yielding only 12 hits to UE, extracted nine points off blocks and scored five aces against UE’s two and one, respectively, in the one-hour, 35-minute demolition job that secured their ninth straight postseason appearance.
Majoy Baron (13) and Kim Kiana Dy (11) led DLSU’s scoring parade while Adorador’s five topped UE’s.
Earlier, Far Eastern U moved closer to the F4 with a 21-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-22 verdict over University of the Philippines.
Kyle Negrito and Net Villareal came through with career games as the Lady Tams recovered from a slow start to grab their seventh victory in 11 starts and seize solo third. Negrito tossed 46 excellent sets to enable four FEU belles to finish in double figures, led by Villareal and Bernadeth Pons’ 15 markers, aside from scoring nine herself.
“Medyo nagmamadali yung team noong umpisa. Hindi naman namin matatapos yung game agad, kailangan dahan-dahan lang kami at sumunod sa game plan (The team was rushing things in the first set. I told them we should patiently take it point for point and follow the game plan),” said FEU coach George Pascua, whose wards got back on track after their fiveset heartbreaker to DLSU last Sunday.
Tots Carlos punched in 23 for UP, which reeled to its third straight loss and stood on the brink with 3-8 overall.
In the men’s play, defending champion Ateneo and Far Eastern booked their ninth wins over separate rivals to join idle National U (9-1) in the Final Four.