WHAT better way for La Salle to begin its road to redemption than bringing down archrival and defending champion Ateneo?
The Lady Spikers shrugged off a first-set hiccup and humbled the Blue Eagles 22-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-20 yesterday in the opener of the 84th UAAP women’s volleyball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Opposite hitter Baby Jyne Soreño showed the way for La Salle with 17 points built on 13 attacks, while Leiah Malaluan chipped in 15 markers on 13 spikes.
Thea Gagate and Fifi Sharma combined for 21 points as the Lady Spikers served strong notice of their title bid after yielding the crown in 2019.
Ateneo took the opening set behind the efforts of Faith Nisperos but faltered in the next three frames in the face of La Salle’s potent charge.
Assistant coach Benson Bocboc said the Lady Spikers heaved a big sigh of relief after getting the monkey off their backs.
“For us, usually ang hardest game is the first one and it’s very important for us,” Bocboc said.
“Our team is new so lahat ng adjustments kailangan naming gawin,” he added.
Knotted at 18-all in the fourth set, Malaluan took charge and shoved La Salle to match point before a Nisperos hit went out.
Nisperos paced the Eagles with 24 points, while Lyann de Guzman and Vanie Gandler added 11 and nine, respectively.
Earlier, University of Santo Tomas bucked an error-plagued outing and trounced Far Eastern University 25-23, 25-20, 25-21 in the match that kicked off the league’s new volley season.
In the second game, National University drubbed Adamson University 25-15, 25-23, 25-18.
