When the De La Salle Lady Spikers shockingly lost to the Adamson Lady Falcons last week, head coach Ramil de Jesus did not mince his words. He told his wards that they played like they were competing in a barangay tournament, not in a high-level league like the UAAP.
Needless to say, the defending champions were highly motivated to win against the Ateneo Lady Eagles on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena. In front of 18,537 fans, the Lady Spikers pulled off a 25-20, 25-17, 24-26, 25-20 victory over their archrivals and perennial finals opponents. At the helm of La Salle's dominant charge was graduating player Kianna Dy. After averaging 11.17 points in their first six games, she unleashed a season-high of 21 markers built on 11 attacks, seven blocks, and three aces against Ateneo.
The veteran opposite hitter admitted she was personally itching to rebound from her poor performance in their loss to Adamson, where she only got to contribute eight points. De Jesus even took her out of the contest because of her lackluster outing.
"It was just a really bad game. After that game, I couldn't sleep. I was restless," Dy shared. "So I sent a text message to coach that goes, 'Sorry coach, I knew you expected more from me. I will bounce back in the next game.'"
La Salle's star player delivered on her promise. Her impressive net defense was on full display in the rivalry battle, especially at the most crucial juncture of the third and fourth sets. She repeatedly turned back the Lady Eagles' towering spiker Kat Tolentino, none more important than the kill block that sent her team to match point.
While De Jesus was satisfied with the character shown by Dy and the rest of his players, he still rued their weakness of faltering in the endgame. The Lady Spikers were on the verge of bagging the victory in the third frame after climbing back from a huge deficit, but they allowed Ateneo to recover and force another set.
"The way they play is like a roller-coaster. They're already there, then they suddenly falter. There's still something lacking in the way they finish games," the multi-titled coach assessed.
According to Dy, De Jesus' remark that they don't belong in the UAAP served as a wake up call for the team. To help them get their groove and composure back, they reminded themselves they are the two-time reigning champions.
"We're used to coach's style. He never gives any praise. He looks at our mistakes," the Season 78 Finals MVP said. "It was eye-opening for us and we deserve it because that's what we showed. Whatever he says to us, we accept it."
"I think coming from a loss, we really needed to bounce back and get that confidence again," Dy continued. "Coach always asks us, 'Who are you? You are the defending champions, right?' Indeed, we are the defending champions. Coming into this game, we just remembered who we are and what we needed to do to regain our confidence."