The DLSU Lady Spikers dug deep to will themselves out of a losing skid against the UST Golden Tigresses in their second round encounter in UAAP Season 87.
The DLSU Lady Spikers played inspired volleyball en route to a come-from-behind victory in five sets against the UST Golden Tigresses in round 2 of UAAP Season 87 over the weekend.
Having lost four straight against UST dating back to last last season, the Lady Spikers were determined to finally get one back, especially after they relinquished a 2-1 set lead in their first-round clash earlier this year.
For MVP candidate Shevana Laput, it was a year’s worth of patience and determination that helped them power themselves through to the much-needed victory, one that also gave them a one-up on UST in the tight Season 87 standings.
[RELATED: Angel Canino rushed to hospital after triple-double in La Salle's comeback win over UST]
Up against tall odds and exhaustion keeping in, Laput tapped in to all the hardships that their team has faced all year.
“This has been a long time coming. It’s something we’ve been wanting ever since last year. This is a big hugot for us,” Laput said.
“There’s nothing to say except that I’m proud of us for getting through this. I’m happy with the result, but of course, there’s always room for improvement.”
Laput, already in her third year, believes that the team already has what it takes to compete against the best of them in the UAAP.
But what has been lacking for the team, especially in Season 87, is the mindset of a winner.
“I believe that our team isn’t kulang in the skills. What we need to work on is the mental aspect,” she said.
“That’s something that we learned from last round, as well as from the NU recent loss. The question is who wants it more, and the answer has to be we want it more,” Laput added.
As for going up against UST, who had previously lorded over La Salle since UAAP Season 86, it was the product of all their hard work and the determination to finally beat their tormentors.
“Since last year, we’ve lost to UST, and we’ve played against them how many times. So imagine the build up, the hugot that we have felt. So of course, we played with that in our hearts,” said Laput, who had 16 markers in the win.
“We want to win more, we know that we deserve to win, we’ve put in the effort. So that’s all we can say. It’s all about the mental [game].”
Still, the fight isn’t over for La Salle just yet, with still four games remaining in the elimination round.
Up next for La Salle are the Ateneo Blue Eagles in a rivalry match on Wednesday, April 2, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.