Games today:

(Rizal Memorial Coliseum)

3:30 p.m. — EAC vs Arellano

6 p.m. — Letran vs JRU

Veteran stars Shevana Laput and Angel Canino rescued De La Salle University from pesky University of the Philippines (UP) in a challenging 25-14, 18-25, 26-24, 25-12, win in Pool C of the 2024 Shakey’s Super League Collegiate Pre-season Championship Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The duo provided the points and stability inside the court to repel the Fighting Maroons as the Lady Spikers announced their return to the league after skipping last year’s edition with a hard-earned win.

Laput scored seven of her 18 points in the fourth frame including the game-sealing crosscourt kill while Canino added 16 points with 14 coming off attacks.

La Salle encountered intense resistance in the second and third sets before taking care of business in the fourth frame.

“For the team, it was really just sticking to our system, listening to what the coaches were telling us but most importantly playing with pride and puso,” Laput, the 2023 National Invitationals Most Valuable Player said after weathering UP threat.

A huge 14-2 fourth set blitz opened an 11-point lead, 16-5, for La Salle which eventually took the fight out of the Fighting Maroons in the tournament backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, GCash, Chery Tiggo, F2 Logistics, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner, R and B Milk Tea and Summit Water.

Canino kept the squad together in the tightly-contested third set that saw La Salle squander a 23-18 advantage before pulling through.

“I just tried to show how we should play inside the court. As their team captain, I want to motivate them to play with pride inside the court,” Canino said.

Amie Provido added 10 points while Katrina Del Castillo had eight for the Lady Spikers.

The Fighting Maroons erased a five-point third set deficit and tied it at 23. A UP miscue gave La Salle the set point advantage before Irah Jaboneta scored a hit for a 24-24 deuce.

Laput answered with a crosscourt kill and Provido won it for La Salle off a kill block on Kassandra Doering.

Rookie Kianne Olango scored 12 points with half of it coming in the Fighting Maroons’ second set assault. Doering finished with seven markers while Jaboneta and Nina Ytang chipped in six for UP.

Meanwhile, University of the East recovered from a set down to turn back an upset-conscious Lyceum of the Philippines University, 24-26, 25-21, 25-22, 25-14, in Pool B late Friday.