Lady Spikers work harder against lightweight Eagles before staying unbeaten
La Salle remained unbeaten after four games in Season 88 of the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament, but the Lady Spikers were unexpectedly taken to a fourth set for the first time here by bitter rival Ateneo on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Without skipper Shevana Laput for the second straight game, the Lady Spikers dug deep after losing the second set before pulling out a 25-14, 21-25, 25-15, 25-17 result that highlighted the persistence of the bitter rivals that occupy the opposite ends of the standings.
“Ateneo is very persistent. Their floor defense is outstanding,” La Salle assistant coach Noel Orcullo, who as usual, was speaking for Ramil de Jesus, said in Filipino. “ I think they’re No. 1 in stats in digs, so you can’t assume that a spike is a point.
“Some (of our) players get frustrated when the ball comes back (to us), because they think it’s already done,” Orcullo went on. “As long as they can stay patient in the rally, they have to keep working for it, because Ateneo is just as patient on defense.”
Though the end result was expected, very few saw the winless Blue Eagles taking a set from the Lady Spikers.
It took Angel Canino’s season-best 21 points and Lilay Del Castillo’s 18-point breakout performance, including eight blocks—the most by a Lady Spiker since Celine Hernandez’s nine in La Salle’s 27-25, 20-25, 21-25, 25-16, 17-15 loss to Adamson on Dec. 9, 2007.
‘More aggressive’
“I think we really saw that Ateneo was more aggressive in the second set compared to us,” Canino said. “We kind of went lie-low in that set. It was a reminder for all of us that just because we won one set doesn’t mean we can relax in the next. A match isn’t finished after just one set.
“In a way, it was also a good learning experience for the younger players and for all of us,” Canino went on. “We saw and experienced firsthand that when we slow down or relax, the opponent becomes even more aggressive and it shows in the results.”
And there was one thing that Canino was appreciative with that happening.
“It’s better that it happened now rather than later in the tournament, so we can still improve and make adjustments as a team.”
Ana Hermosura, who powered the gallant stand with 18 points, said scoring a set win against their powerhouse rivals was still a boost for the Blue Eagles even if they dropped to 0-4.
“It’s a big win for us. It was a good experience,” said the rookie from Bacolod Tay Tung High School. “I’m just enjoying my rookie season like there’s no pressure and keep on learning from it. I’m taking this rookie year as experience for my upcoming years in the UAAP.”
Hermosura wants to lead the entire team in improving its mental toughness, as La Salle beat Ateneo for the 16th straight game or since the UAAP Season 79 finals in 2017—the final playing years of star setters Kim Fajardo of La Salle and Ateneo’s Jia De Guzman.
The Lady Spikers got a big lesson from the hard-fighting Blue Eagles, and Canino will be front and center in keeping her team together for their upcoming games.
“We have a lot of seniors and we also have young players who are willing to step up,” Canino said. “That makes it lighter for me because I know I’m not the only one the team can rely on. Everyone inside the court is dependable, so there’s no added pressure.
“We just trust the work we put in during training. We trust our preparation, and it’s really showing in the results,” she added. “You can truly commend the younger players because you can see how brave and confident they are.”
