De La Salle University, already assured of a 15th consecutive Final Four stint, bucked a sensational 35-point performance from rookie Shaina Nitura to pull off a dramatic come-from-behind 25-19, 21-25, 22-25, 25-18, 15-4 victory over Adamson University in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament, Wednesday afternoon at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Fueled by the combined efforts of Angel Canino, Shevana Laput, and Amie Provido — and bolstered by the emergence of rookie Shane Reterta — the Lady Spikers not only bounced back from their previous defeat but also kept pace with the University of Santo Tomas in the race for the last twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four. Both teams now hold identical 9-4 records heading into the final weekend of eliminations.
The win, coupled with UST’s sweep of the University of the Philippines earlier in the day, sets the stage for a high-stakes final round at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
For De La Salle to clinch the twice-to-beat edge, they must defeat the fourth-seeded FEU Lady Tamaraws on Saturday and hope that UST falters against the NU Lady Bulldogs on Sunday. Should both UST and La Salle finish with similar win-loss records, a playoff for the No. 2 seed will be scheduled at a later date.
Another possible scenario is should the Lady Spikers lose to the Lady Tamaraws — coupled with a Golden Tigresses loss to the Lady Bulldogs — a three-way tie for second place could be forged with identical 9-5 records. In such a situation, the win-loss standing, the win over the other rule, points, and the FIVB Quotient System will be used to break the tie.
“Yung paalala lang namin sa mga bata nung fifth set ay kung sino may gusto nito [at] kung sino may gustong manalo nung fifth set, ‘yon yun. Ginusto ng mga bata, gumalaw sila, umiral yung kagustuhan manalo, kaya ‘ayon, medyo napigilan na si Nitura kasi nabasa naman na nila ‘eh kung ano ginagawa,” Lady Spikers lead assistant Noel Orcullo said.
La Salle drew strength and momentum from a dominant fourth frame triumph, opening the decisive fifth set with an explosive 11-3 run — capped with an off-the-block hit from Reterta and an ace from Provido.
That eight-point hole proved to be too steep for the Lady Falcons to overcome as a Canino attack, a Reterta crosscourt hit, and a quick hit by Lilay del Castillo sealed the Lady Spikers ninth win in two hours and 15 minutes.
Another key factor in La Salle’s comeback victory was the defense it displayed against Nitura from the fourth set onwards. After allowing the rookie phenom from Cainta, Rizal to tally 29 points through three sets, Nitura was limited by the Lady Spikers’ defense to just six points in the fourth and fifth sets combined.
Canino fueled the Lady Spikers with 22 points on 20 attacks with 23 excellent receptions and two excellent digs, while Laput provided 21 points on 16 attacks, three aces, and two blocks with nine excellent receptions.
Provido added 14 points on 10 points and three attacks, while Reterta enjoyed her best game in her young UAAP volleyball career with nine points on seven attacks.
The loss ended Adamson’s late-season surge, snapping a two-game winning streak and dropping them to solo sixth with a 5-8 record in the eight-team field.
Individually, Nitura’s explosive 35-point outing once again went unrewarded. The Adamson star now holds a league-record six 30-point games in a single UAAP women’s volleyball season — three of which came in losing efforts, including heartbreaking defeats to UP, UST, and La Salle.
Joining Nitura as Adamson’s double-digit scorers is Nigerian wing spiker Frances Mordi with 13 points on 10 attacks with 11 excellent receptions and nine excellent digs.
The Lady Falcons will wrap up their Season 87 campaign against the Fighting Maroons on Saturday, April 26, also at the Big Dome.