Lady Spikers roll to fourth straight win

MANILA, Philippines -- La Salle keeps on rolling.

The Lady Spikers won their fourth straight match in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament after shooting down the Far Eastern University in three sets, 25-17, 25-20, 25-22, Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

After dropping to 1-2 through the first three games of the season, La Salle’s first since 2005, the Lady Spikers have strung together four straight convincing victories.

Shevana Laput powered the Taft-based squad with 22 points on 18 attacks, three blocks and a service ace, as a follow-up to her 25-point explosion the last time around. Alleiah Malaluan added 12 markers on seven attacks, four service aces and a block.

Up two sets to none, La Salle trailed by five, 4-9, in the third set after a Malaluan error.

But a block point on Asis capped four straight points that cut the lead to one, 8-9.

Eventually, the Lady Spikers overtook FEU, 13-12, after an Angel Canino attack.

The two teams then traded points, with the Tamaraws taking an 18-17 lead after a Gerzel Petallo drop.

The third set was then tied at 19-all, but a Laput down-the-line attack, followed by two service aces by Malaluan, pushed them ahead, 22-19.

But Petallo and Jaz Ellarina teamed up to cut the lead to one, 22-23.

The breaks of the game, however, went La Salle’s way, with Mikole Reyes’ crafty 1-2 play finishing the matchup, 25-22.

Canino chipped in 10 points for the victors while Amie Provido had eight. Reyes had 20 excellent sets in the match.

No Tamaraw finished in double figures, with Faida Bakanke leading the charge with nine markers. Petallo backstopped with eight points, while Mitzi Panangin and Jean Asis had six each.

The Lady Spikers will thus head into the second round with a 5-2 win-loss record.

Meanwhile, FEU’s three-game winning streak then came to a screeching halt, and the Lady Tamaraws will head to the second round with a 4-3 win-loss record.