SWEEP 16: La Salle whips NU, completes perfect season
FINALS MVP Shevana Laput glows after La Salle defeated defending champion National University, 25-22, 25-16, 25-16, to bag the Season 88 UAAP women’s volleyball tournament title on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF UAAP
Flawless victory.
Just like what head coach Ramil De Jesus reminded the team, De La Salle University finished what it started.
The Lady Spikers dethroned National University (NU) in an emphatic finals Game 2 sweep, 25-22, 25-16, 25-16, that punctuated a perfect championship run in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
La Salle simply outclassed the Lady Bulldogs in their second straight championship meeting to bring the crown back to Taft Avenue after three years for its 13th title overall.
Finals Most Valuable Player Shevana Laput took the honor of putting an end to NU’s back-to-back reign with the title-clinching kill as the sea of green and white celebrated the return of the Lady Spikers back on the throne behind a 16-0 season sweep.
“We made a promise at the beginning of this season and this is us fulfilling that promise,” the La Salle skipper said.
Laput, who was also named Best Opposite Hitter, hammered 14 kills and six kill blocks to finish with 20 points and eight digs to pace La Salle, which completed a season sweep for the first time since an outright championship back in 2005 when it cleared all of its elimination round assignment.
Protecting a slim, 8-7, lead in the third set, the Lady Spikers used a decisive 6-0 run to widen its gap that took any form of resistance away from the Lady Bulldogs.
An Amie Provido running attack followed by a Shane Reterta kill pushed La Salle closer to its goal. An ace by Provido that NU veteran libero Shaira Jardio failed to dive and put up in time put the Lady Spikers on the cusp of victory.
Provido overshot her service on the next play but it was only a minor delay for the Lady Spikers’ date with glory in front of 22,509-strong live crowd.
Angel Canino submitted a triple-double of 11 points, all from kills, 10 digs and 10 excellent receptions for La Salle, which also took the best-of-series opener in lopsided fashion, 25-23, 25-18, 25-18, last Wednesday at the same Pasay City venue.
Reterta and Lilay Del Castillo added eight points each while rookie setter Eshana Nunag tallied 17 excellent sets that helped the Lady Spikers blast 44 attack points.