The De La Salle Lady Spikers turned back the Ateneo Lady Eagles in four sets, 25-20, 25-17, 24-26, 25-20, in the UAAP Season 80 women's volleyball tournament on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The two-time defending champions halted the four-game winning streak of their archrival Ateneo. Kianna Dy led the charge with 21 points built on 11 attacks, seven blocks, and three service aces.
Tin Tiamzon and Des Cheng were also productive with 13 and 11 markers, respectively, while Majoy Baron and Aduke Ogunsanya chipped in with ten points apiece.
The Lady Spikers took advantage of Ateneo's spotty reception as they fired 16 service aces in the contest, seven of which came from Cheng.
"This is what I want to see from them. I always tell them that I don't feel their character inside the court. Maybe I feel it as individuals but not as a group. In today's game, they displayed their character as a team," said DLSU head coach Ramil de Jesus.
La Salle cruised through the first set and showed their strength from the get-go. The Lady Eagles tried to swing the momentum on their side, soaring ahead early in the second period. The Lady Spikers quickly recovered, however. They launched ten unanswered points, highlighted by three straight aces from Cheng, to make it 21-13. Jules Samonte tried to keep Ateneo in the set but kill blocks from Tiamzon and Michelle Cobb allowed La Salle to gain a 2-0 set advantage.
With their backs against the wall, the Lady Eagles came alive in the third period. They unleashed a strong 7-1 blitz to mount a ten-point edge, 21-11. The Lady Spikers managed to erase the gap behind their solid net defense. Tied at 21-all, Samonte stopped the bleeding for Ateneo. La Salle then produced three points in a row to reach match point, 24-22. Ateneo stayed alive and extended the game to a fourth set, thanks to consecutive hits from Jho Maraguinot and Kat Tolentino.
The Lady Spikers regained their bearings in the fourth frame. They surged to 20-14, but their errors allowed Ateneo to inch closer. Maddie Madayag put the Lady Eagles within two points, 21-19, but Bea de Leon commits a service error in the next play. Dy blocked Tolentino to get to another match point, 24-19. Cheng left a window open for Ateneo with a miscue from the service zone, but Samonte also made an error of her own to end the contest.
Maraguinot topscored for the Lady Eagles with 13 points, followed by Tolentino with 12. Deana Wong tallied 36 excellent sets, compared to Cobb's 22.
La Salle ends the first round with a 5-2 record, tied with FEU in second place. Ateneo drops to fourth spot with a 4-3 slate.