The Lady Spikers picked up win no. 12.
Even in a game with nothing at stake but school pride, expect the De La Salle University Lady Spikers and the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles to go at it with all their might.
That’s what the they did on Sunday, as the Lady Spikers edged their rivals from Katipunan, 25-22, 25-19, 25-18, in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Asked about La Salle's mindset heading into the much-awaited match against also-ran Ateneo, La Salle rookie Shevana Laput had a simple answer.
“Honestly, it’s just to take it one point at a time. And always give our best. Tiyaga-tiyaga,” said Laput, who finished with 16 points, including an ace.
So, it's no longer surprising that the Lady Spikers, who are already sitting comfortably atop the standings with a 12-1 record and a twice-to-beat incentive in the Final Four, came out strong, fully expecting stiff resistance from the Blue Eagles.
True enough, Ateneo still made things relatively tough for the Lady Spikers.
The straight-sets victory was not as easy as it looked. In fact, on many occasions, the Blue Eagles actually claimed the lead.
But La Salle was just too much to handle in the end, showing poise and sticking to the system to finish off the Blue Eagles.
“Its just sticking to our system. And puso. Just giving it our all, honestly,”Laput concluded.