DE La Salle University (DLSU) and the University of the Philippines (UP) clash at the Araneta Coliseum Wednesday for a joint lead at the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 women’s volleyball standings.
The winner of the 3 p.m. clash gets to share the top spot with the defending champs and 3-0 National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs.
La Salle and UP are likewise unbeaten, albeit through two games only, tied in second place in the standings.
Banking on Shevana Laput’s 22-point and 3-dig output last Sunday, the Lady Spikers blanked the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses, 25-14, 25-15, 26-24.
Laput, the team captain of the Ramil De Jesus-mentored team, said falling short of their ultimate goal — the championship — in the last two seasons fuels the Lady Spikers, especially the seniors like her, this year.
“As seniors, having that heartbreak that we’ve had in the past two seasons, we definitely want to come into this season and redeem ourselves and finally capture what we believe is truly ours,” she said.
“And at the end of the day, again, it’s very much a mind game all of the teams here in UAAP are skilled, but it’s who wants it more, who wants to win more,” the 6-foot-1 spiker added.
Meanwhile, the Fighting Maroons pulled off a reverse sweep against Katipunan neighbor Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) Blue Eagles, 17-25, 19-25, 25-22, 25-23, 16-14, also last Sunday.
Four players scored in double digits for UP including the debuting foreign student-athlete Fina Ali of Nigeria, who punched in 13 markers.
The 18-year-old said her confidence boosted with her off-the-bench performance.
“I would say I’ve been waiting for this time. I mean, I’ve been here for like, I watched two seasons already, but I wasn’t able to play and me playing today, being my first day, and all of a sudden, I happen to be the one that changed the game,” said Ali.
“I feel my confidence now is well boosted up. I feel I can do better. This is just like a plus sign for me, and it’s kind of like reminding me that I have more to give. I can do it. I can do it.”
In the first women’s match of the day set at 1 p.m., Ateneo and UST look to claim their first win of the season at the expense of each other.The Blue Eagles and the Golden Tigresses are tied in sixth and seventh places with an 0-2 slate, just above the 0-3 University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors.
