Lady Patriots UCAA volley champs anew

DASMARIñAS, Cavite, Philippines – Veteran spikers April Almaden, Jennifer Manzano and Precious Grace Abano scored the key points which carried the defending champion De La Salle University-Dasmariñas Lady Patriots to a 25-8, 25-9, 25-18, beating of the Technological Institute of the Philippines Lady Engineers.

Their efforts enabled the Patriots to claim their eighth consecutive crown last Tuesday in the eighth Universities and Colleges Athletic Association (UCAA) women’s volleyball tournament at the Ugnayang La Salle gymnasium here.

The Lady Patriots got off to a great start, with Abano dishing out 10 aces in the first set to immediately give the Lady Patriots the initiative en route to a 2-0 sweep of their best-of-three finals series with the Lady Engineers.

Earlier, the Philippine School of Business Administration Lady Jaguars turned back the Universal College Lady Dragons, 25-16, 25-16, 25-18, in the battle for third place.

Abano, who was adjudged league best server, dished out three more aces at the start of the second set before committing an error.

But the Lady Patriots quickly recovered behind the heroics of Almaden, the season’s most valuable player, who hit five aces.