UAAP WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL: DLSU Outplays Ateneo to Rack Up Third Straight Win

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers maintained their winning ways in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament after defeating the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), 25-15, 25-14, 20-25, 25-19, on March 12, 2025, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

After a rough start in the season when they dropped two of their first three matches, the Lady Spikers suddenly rediscovered their groove and are currently on a three-game winning streak following their win against their rival school.

DLSU quickly blew the game wide-open after dominating the first two sets with double-digit leads, spearheaded by the offensive brilliance of veteran outside hitter Shevana Laput who capped off the win with a stellar scoring clinic.

In just four sets of action, the towering spiker amassed 25 points built from 19 successful attacks, pummeling her way to an efficient scoring spree despite the tight coverage that Ateneo gave her in the last two periods.

Although her scoring helped maintain DLSU’s consistency in the match, her defensive capabilities also steered the former UAAP queens to a strong finish as she tallied three blocks.

Ateneo fought back in the third and refused to get swept but Laput’s emergence in the fourth set restored order for the Lady Spikers.

Laput kicked off the final set with back-to-back cross-court kills, followed by an off-the-block kill that swelled DLSU’s advantage to six points.

After that Laput sequence, the rest of the squad just started to chip in, resulting in a vicious balanced attack coming from Angel Canino and Alleiah Malaluan.

Canino backstopped Laput with 17 markers derived from 13 successful attacks alongside four blocks and eight excellent digs while Malaluan added 12 points. Mikole Reyes, DLSU’s new lead setter, orchestrated the Lady Spikers’ attack well after tallying 20 excellent sets.

“Niremind ko lang sila na kailangan sa ganong klaseng situation, nangingibabaw ‘yung tibay ng dibdib kasi nung third set, nagkaroon ng errors and may sumunod, merong hindi naka-control sa sarili. And then ayun na,” said DLSU chief tactician Ramil de Jesus after their win.

The Lady Spikers will aim for their fourth consecutive UAAP win on March 15, 2025, as they take on the revamped Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws in the last game of the scheduled doubleheader.