UP star Isa Molde led the attack line against DLSU, punching in 11 points.
Story by Joseph Charles Lim
The University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Maroons swept the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers with an emphatic 25-16, 26-24, 25-19 win to start their second round campaign of the UAAP Season 81 volleyball tournament yesterday, March 24,
at the Ynares Sports Center.
Building on their momentum from winning their previous meeting in a five-set thriller, the Lady Maroons proved their mettle against top-tier opponent as they banked on their seasoned veterans to pull off an unprecedented domination of the defending champions.
Captain Tots Carlos and prized star Isa Molde led the match with 13 and 11 points respectively, while Justine Dorog and Ayel Estrañero pulled off a valiant effort on the defensive end as part of their supporting cast.
Lady Spikers’ CJ Saga, who led the defense with 11 excellent digs and 12 successful receptions, was the only bright spot for the Lady Spikers that committed a dismal 37 errors, 17 of which came from the service line, atypical to their usual efficient selves.
The Diliman-based squad started the game strong, establishing a commanding nine-point advantage early in the match, 22-13, to which they never looked back.
Come second set, the Lady Spikers fought back, earning a five-point lead early on. But their accumulated errors helped the Lady Maroons tighten the gap to tie the set at 19-all and eventually snatch a narrow set win.
The third set proved it was not DLSU's day as they suffered the same fate when they had the upper hand early, but squandered the lead to the Lady Maroons who were able to exploit their errors into a dramatic win.
But despite handing over the Taft-based squad their third loss, UP Head Coach Godfrey Okumu believes that the girls in maroon are yet to reach their peak potential. “I still feel there's more to come. We still can play better, it's just a matter of time. But again, it was a good game. It's our lucky day today," Okumu said.
This marks the first time in two seasons that the Lady Spikers have been dealt with two losses from the same team in the eliminations, the last of which at the hands of then-champions Ateneo Lady Eagles in Season 79.
The Lady Maroons, now at 5-3, find themselves in a four-way tie for second place with DLSU, UST, and FEU. They aim to move away from the rest of the pack when they tangle with top-seed Ateneo on Saturday at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.
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