It wasn’t as smooth sailing as many expected it to be, but the three-time defending champions got the job done nevertheless.
Ara Galang scored 16 points while Mika Reyes and Abi Maraño added 12 and 11 points respectively as the Lady Spikers begin their quest for a fourth-straight title with a straight set win over Adamson 25-14 25-22 25-19.
After cruising the first set, La Salle struggled in the second as they blew an early 6-point lead to keep the Lady Falcons within striking distance. Hanging on to a 21-20 lead, the Lady Spikers turned on their defense to escape with the win.
It was a neck-to-neck battle for the most part of the third set which saw both teams even at 17-17. The Lady Spikers then ignited a 5-0 run before Galang closed out the game with a kill.
Rookie Desiree Cheng, who started in place for the graduated Michele Gumabao, finished with 7 points. The Lady Spikers dominated on the defensive end, registering 13 blocks as compared to 3 by Adamson.
Amanda Villanueva, who previously played for La Salle in the beach volleyball tournament a couple of years back led the Lady Falcons with 15 points.
Despite the win, coach Ramily de Jesus acknowledged that there are still a lot of adjustments that need to be made. He said the team became overconfident and this enabled Adamson to put up a good fight in the last two sets.
The Lady Spikers return to action next Sunday against UST.