Lady Spikers underscore need to focus as season sweep looms

MANILA, Philippines — One step at a time. 

With La Salle a win away from a season sweep, the Lady Spikers are focusing on what’s in front of them. 

And it will all boil down to a single game. 

The Lady Spikers inched closer to an outright UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball finals berth after obliterating the University of the East Lady Warriors, 25-20, 25-18, 25-15, Wednesday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila. 

The Taft-based squad rose to 13-0, while keeping UE winless through 13 contests.

After the game, La Salle’s Shevana Laput said that their coaches underscored the importance of taking things one game at a time.

“That's what the coaches are instilling in us, one game at a time. We don't worry about this streak that we have, that it's 13-0. We worry about how we perform, and if we perform, of what we have done in training,” said Laput, who scored 12 points on 10 attacks, a block and an ace. 

“Be disciplined and stay true to the system that the coaches have taught us,” she added. 

An automatic finals berth for La Salle will come down to a mammoth matchup with defending champions National University Lady Bulldogs. 

Assistant coach Gian de Jesus, for his part, said that there will be pressure no matter what, but the team needs to focus nonetheless. 

“Siguro ‘di naman mawawala yung pressure, siyempre, ang pressure dapat manalo. Pero laging pinapaalala nila coach na score lng yan, number lang yan. So, kailangan lang naming mag-focus sa nasa harapan namin, which is NU,” he said. 

“One game at a time lang. Sana, hopefully, maganda pa rin ang pakita namin na game,” he added.

La Salle last pulled off a 14-game sweep in Season 76, led by Kim Fajardo, Abi Marano, Mika Reyes and Ara Galang.

Angel Canino also had 12 for La SAlle. Amie Provido chipped in eight. 

Khy Cepada topscored UE with 13 markers, while Van Bangayan had 10.