Games on Saturday
(UST Quadricentennial Pavilion)
9 a.m. – Ateneo vs UE (Men)
11 a.m. – Ateneo vs UE (Women)
3 p.m. – AdU vs FEU (Men)
5 p.m. – AdU vs FEU (Women)
ONE win away from a ticket straight to the championship stage.
De La Salle University (DLSU), as expected, clobbered the winless University of the East (UE), 25-20, 25-18, 25-15, to maneuver on the verge of a sweep and an outright finals ticket within the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball on Wednesday on the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.
Save for a detailed first set, the DLSU Lady Spikers dominated the UE Lady Warriors in just 78 minutes of play for his or her 13th straight win as a testament to their serious revenge tour after a bridesmaid finish last season to back-to-back champion National University (NU).
A win by La Salle against NU on Sunday on the Mall of Asia Arena as its final roadblock will trigger a rare stepladder format with the Lady Spikers already waiting on top for a best-of-three titular showdown against the survivor. La Salle beat NU in the primary round, 25-21, 25-19, 19-25, 25-17.
A loss would make it a standard semifinals with La Salle being assured of the highest seeding and a twice-to-beat edge.
But first things first for La Salle, which took care of business against the lowly UE as a warm-up.
“That’s what the coaches are instilling in us, one game at a time. We don’t worry about this streak that we’ve got and the 13-0 record,” said team captain Shevana Laput, who fired 12 points in limited play as La Salle fielded its bench players to rev up for NU and the playoffs.
“We worry about how we perform and being disciplined in staying true to the system the coaches have taught us.”
MVP contender Angel Canino also provided 12 points paired by 10 excellent digs and 7 excellent receptions while Lilay Del Castillo and Amie Provido chipped in nine and eight points, respectively.
Mikee Santos led the substitutes with five points together with solid play from Ella De Guzman and Mikole Reyes while ace Shane Reterta scattered five points, seven excellent digs and 7 excellent receptions.
Khy Cepeda (13) and skipper Van Bangayan (10) led the best way because the Lady Warriors absorbed their 27 straight losses including 13 this season prior to a duel for a graceful exit against fellow struggling Ateneo (1-11) on Saturday at the identical venue.
In the lads’s division, UE (3-10) played spoiled and dragged La Salle (5-8) to the exit door with a 25-21, 28-26, 26-24 victory behind Raquim Aceron’s 19 points. UE’s win assured Ateneo de Manila University (7-5) the last Final 4 ticket. — John Bryan Ulanday