REMEMBER THE ANIMO

Angel Canino (No. 12) soars for a kill. —UAAP MEDIA

At match point, the La Salle Lady Spikers endured a breath-sucking 41-hit rally before Shevana Laput finally found an open corner down the line.

When the kill officially turned into a point, the team whose swag can melt an opponent’s morale celebrated in a relatively subdued manner.

With three games left before La Salle wraps up its schedule in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament, the Lady Spikers find themselves exactly where they hoped to be: They’re starting to come together, they’re nursing the same hunger they had at the start and, more importantly, they’re holding on to a crucial postseason advantage.

But ask anyone on the team, and they’ll tell you one thing—you ain’t seen nothing yet.

La Salle’s latest win, a resounding 25-22, 25-13, 25-23 sweep of University of the East at Smart Araneta Coliseum, marked the Taft school’s third consecutive victory and brought its record to 8-3 (win-loss). The victory also cemented the Lady Spikers’ position at No. 2 in the standings, the threshold for securing the twice-to-beat incentive in the Final Four.

La Salle is looking at a deceivingly tough stretch to cap its elimination-round schedule. —PHOTOS FROM UAAP MEDIA

“Coach Ramil [de Jesus] says that for our remaining games, we need to take it one game at a time and always respect our opponents,” said assistant coach Kerth Melliza. “What we’re fighting for now is to be No. 2 and get the twice-to-beat advantage.”

With defending champion National University securely at the top, the battle for second place is tight. University of Santo Tomas (7-4) and Far Eastern University (6-4) are still in the hunt, making every match from here on out a high-stakes encounter.

Despite the edge, La Salle’s standouts remain focused on growth.

“We’ll need discipline along the way—discipline as a team and discipline individually,” said captain Angel Canino, who starred once again with 16 points from 12 attacks, three blocks, and an ace. “This win is important because we’ll be drawing our confidence for each other from here.”

The Lady Spikers will finish their eliminations slate facing teams still in playoff contention—University of the Philippines, Adamson, and FEU.

Those three teams have a deceivingly unremarkable combined record of 14-16. But Canino knows that stretch won’t be easy.

“We’ll make sure to win our remaining games so when the Final Four comes, we’ll really get what we want to achieve.”

Helping bolster their campaign is rookie Jillian Santos, who stepped into the spotlight against UE. A former US NCAA Division 1 player, Santos contributed six points in a supporting role that allowed stars like Canino and Laput (14 points) to thrive.

“I think the thing that keeps me going are my teammates, first and foremost,” said Santos. “I’m adapting to a new system of play, but this is a good starting point for me.”

Her performance may not have been headline-generating, but her timing couldn’t be better.

“It’s always great to play alongside my teammates. I think we’re all adjusting and helping each other grow,” she added.

And that growth mindset is what defines La Salle’s current run. Confidence is building, skills are sharpening, and team chemistry is peaking—but they’re haven’t quite reached their full potential yet.

“I can’t say that this is our peak,” Canino reflected. “We believe we can do more. Hopefully, we’ll be more confident when we step inside the court and be ready to face whoever comes next.”