De La Salle University extended its mastery over archrival Ateneo de Manila University, securing a 25-21, 25-17, 25-20 triumph to strengthen its hold on second place in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament, Wednesday afternoon at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
All eyes were on Canino, who had to be rushed to the hospital after La Salle’s hard-fought win against University of Santo Tomas last Saturday.
Any lingering concerns about her condition were quickly put to rest, as the Season 85 Rookie-MVP delivered a stellar performance alongside Shevana Laput, powering the Lady Spikers to their sixth win in seven matches and improving their record to 7-3.
“I’m doing really good and I’m better na po. Binigyan din naman ako ng go signal and nagpahinga rin talaga ako kung anong kailangan na protocol, sinunod ko lang,” Canino said, who delivered 16 points on 16-of-34 attack efficiency with seven excellent digs and six excellent receptions.
(“I’m doing really good, and I’m feeling better now. I was also given the go signal, and I made sure to rest properly. I just followed all the necessary protocols.”)
The victory gave them a crucial one-game cushion over Far Eastern University, which currently sits in third place with a 6-4 slate.
With this win, La Salle extended its winning streak against Ateneo to 16 matches, a run that dates back to the Season 79 Finals in 2017. The Lady Spikers also completed a season sweep of the Blue Eagles, following up their four-set triumph in the first round last March 12.
“Acutally, ito talaga yung goal namin na mahawakan yung second [place] hanggang sa dulo para makuha namin yung twice-to-beat advantage. Sana magtuloy-tuloy dahil ito talaga yung isa sa mga goal namin,” Lady Spikers head coach Ramil de Jesus said.
(“Actually, this has really been our goal—to hold onto second place until the end so we can secure the twice-to-beat advantage. Hopefully, we can keep this going because this is one of our main objectives)
Ateneo made a late push in the third set, narrowing the gap to 20-18 after a crosscourt hit from AC Miner and an off-the-block attack from Alexa Montoro. However, La Salle quickly regained control, as Alleiah Malaluan delivered a clutch off-the-block hit and an ace, followed by a crosscourt strike from Canino to build a 23-18 advantage. A service error by Montoro and an offspeed attack from Canino sealed the Lady Spikers’ seventh win of the season.
Earlier, La Salle pulled away in the second set, racing to a 14-10 lead before back-to-back quick hits from Provido and a crosscourt strike from Laput put them firmly in command with a 2-0 set advantage.
In the opening frame, Ateneo kept within striking distance at 22-20, but Laput’s crosscourt attack and consecutive quick hits from Lilay del Castillo allowed La Salle to draw first blood.
Laput provided 14 points on 12 attacks and two blocks with five excellent digs, Provido added nine points on eight attacks and one block while Del Castillo also scored eight. Malaluan chipped in seven points, seven excellent receptions, and three excellent digs in the win.
Mikole Reyes orchestrated the Lady Spikers’ offense with 19 excellent sets, as the rookie setter was able to distribute the ball well not only to the usual reliable Canino and Laput also to the team’s top middles Provido and Del Castillo.
Meanwhile, Lyka de Leon contributed 12 excellent receptions and 11 excellent digs.
The Lady Spikers now aim for a third straight victory when they face the winless and already-eliminated University of the East on Saturday, April 5, at the same venue.
The loss, on the other hand, put an end to the Blue Eagles’ three-game winning streak, staying at sixth place with a 4-6 record.
Miner paced Ateneo in the losing effort with 13 points on 12 attacks and one block with seven excellent digs, while De Guzman was limited to nine points on 9-of-36 attack clip but still contributed 14 excellent receptions and five excellent digs. Zey Pacio added eight points for the Blue Eagles.
Taks Fujimoto dished out 17 excellent sets for the Blue Eagles in the loss, while Fiona Arroyo contributed 15 excellent receptions and 11 excellent digs.
Ateneo will look to bounce back against University of Santo Tomas on Saturday, also at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.