UAAP: La Salle remains unbeaten, dominates Ateneo in three set clinic

The De La Salle University Lady Spikers continued their unbeaten streak, disposing of arch-rivals Ateneo De Manila University in straight sets, 25-16 25-20 25-16, on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena, in a rematch of last season's UAAP women's volleyball Finals.

With the win, La Salle remains at the top of the standings at 6-0, while Ateneo slides down to third behind NU, ending their first round with a 5-2 card.

"Every practive kasi kung ano yung nagiging problem sa actual game yun ang binabalikan namin. Wala kasing perfect game," said DLSU head coach Ramil De Jesus. "Basta kami kung ano yung darating na game namin kailangan namin paghandaan. Hindi ko iniisip kung undefeated or may talo man."

Errors from DLSU put Ateneo ahead early, before an Ahomiro miscue and a Mika Reyes kill cut the Lady Eagles' lead to one, 11-10. Reyes responded both on defense and offense, before Ara Galang made it a two-point game for La Salle, 13-11. With Galang and Reyes up in front, DLSU got extra confidence from their options. Kim Fajardo fed Reyes for a four-point lead soon after, as Alyssa Valdez' attempt sailed long. A Galang kill down the line forced Ateneo to call for time, 19-13.

After the timeout, Marge Tejada went for an attack, as a La Salle error cut the lead to four, but a Desiree Cheng ace and a Cyd Demecillo conversion on the second serving gave La Salle set point. The Lady Spikers then ended the set with authority, as Marano and Fajardo served Ella De Jesus an emphatic denial, 25-16.

La Salle raced off to a 4-0 lead in the second, before Valdez finally put Ateneo on the board with a block on Fajardo. The Ateneo team captain wasn't done, as she and Amy Ahomiro strung points together to cut the lead to one. A DLSU error tied the game at 7-all, but Marano and Fajardo conspired for a series of blocks to retake the lead. A Fajardo facial on Valdez led to a Chang crosscourt kill, as DLSU built a buffer, 14-11. Another excellent set from Fajardo led to an Aby Marano runner, sending the game to its second technical timeout, 16-13.

Shaky reception gave DLSU a six-point lead, as Valdez and Morente tried to keep Ateneo in it. Another DLSU block made it 22-16, forcing the Lady Eagles to call for time. The Lady Eagles responded with a 4-1 run capped off by a Valdez kill, but Demecillo caught Ahomiro looking in the next play, while another Denden Lazaro misreception sealed the second set for La Salle.

Long rallies led to a tense atmosphere at the arena, as Ahomiro propelled Ateneo to an 8-6 lead. The re-insertion of Mika Reyes spelled the difference thereafter, as she and Fajardo strung five together to put La Salle ahead, 11-8.

With reception woes continuing to plague Ateneo, Desiree Cheng challenged Alyssa Valdez from the wings and won, giving La Salle a six-point edge at the second technical timeout, 16-10. An Ara Galang ace stretched the lead to seven, 19-12, but Ateneo stayed resilient, cutting the lead to four, before succumbing to errors late, 23-16. A Mika Reyes kill led to match point, as La Salle completed a double block to end the game, 25-16.

DLSU led Ateneo 12-4 in blocking, with Reyes tallying half of her team's denials. Reyes also led her team in scoring with 13, while Ara Galang and Aby Marano added 10 and nine, respectively.

Alyssa Valdez was neutralized in this game, scoring only 11 markers. The Lady Eagles struggled to find other options, with Amy Ahomiro and Marge Tejada only combining for 14. - AMD, GMA News