MANILA – De La Salle University Lady Spikers dethroned rival Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, 25-19, 25-20, 25-23, in the step-ladder semifinals of the UAAP Season 84 women’s volleyball on Thursday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Rookie Alleiah Malaluan spearheaded the offense with 16 points on 15 attacks and a block, as the Lady Spikers made its way back to the UAAP Finals after missing the Season 81.
Thea Gagate and Jolina Dela Cruz chipped in 13 points apiece for the Lady Spikers, which will battle National University Lady Bulldogs in the best-of-three championship series at 5 p.m. today.
“I think level ‘yung playing field (sa Finals). I don’t think may value dito ‘yung 14-0 ‘no. Umabot tayo ng Finals best-of-three so unahan na lang kami sino unang makapanalo,””said Lady Spikers assistant coach Benson Bocboc.
Needing just two points to seal the first set, Gagate went to work for the Lady Spikers with a block on Vanessa Gandler before targeting Faith Nisperos on the serve for the ace, 25-19.
DLSU were ahead 22-20 in the second period when Sharma and Coronel combined for the next three points punctuated by the former’s rejection of Nisperos, for the 2-0 La Salle lead.
The Lady Spikers were on top 21-14 in the third set following a 6-1 attack but the Blue Eagles countered with an 8-2 scoring run to come to within 22-23.
However, Gagate took one back on a quick kill before Erika Raagas pulled Ateneo back within one, 23-24, then Malaluan put the exclamation point with an off-the-block hit for the clincher, 25-23.
“’Yung Ateneo nakita natin gumapang against Adamson and UST so ‘yung momentum nandoon. Nag-ready lang ‘yung team of course the effort should be times two, times three para ma-stop ‘yung Ateneo,” said Bocboc.
Nisperos was the lone bright spot with 19 markers, while Raagas chipped in nine markers for the Blue Eagles, which ended the tournament as the third place team./PN
