The defending champions De La Salle University Lady Spikers successfully defended their crown after taking down the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws in Game 2 of UAAP Season 80 Women’s Volleyball Finals, 26-24, 25-20, 26-24, Wednesday, at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Just like in Game 1, the championship poise of La Salle got the better of the inexperienced FEU squad as shown in the crucial stretches in Game 2.
Down 24-21 in the opening set, the Lady Spikers stunned FEU and won the next five points all thanks to the clutch plays of seniors Kim Dy and Majoy Baron. A service ace from Baron forced a 24-all deadlock, followed by an emphatic hit from Dy to steal the set point. The middle attack of Ced Domingo then went straight to the block of Aduke Ogunsanya to eventually succumb the set to La Salle.
After convincingly pocketing the second set, La Salle was already on its way to another crown as they reached championship point, 24-20. However, graduating Bernadette Pons had other things in mind as the Lady Tamaraws, behind Pons’ loaded serves, pushed the Lady Spikers to their limits after tying the match at 24-all.
La Salle quickly regained the advantage via a crosscourt hit from Dy, then FEU and La Salle fought tooth and nail for a long crucial rally that was ended by an off-speed hit by Tin Tiamzon to seal the championship.
La Salle victoriously accomplished their bid for a ‘grand slam’, their third three-peat all under multi-titled Coach Ramil De Jesus (Seasons 66-68, 73-75, 78-80) –– a perfect send-off for the triumvirate Kim Kianna Dy, Majoy Baron, and Dawn Macandili who was also hailed as the Finals MVP after a stellar performance in the Finals series with a total of 45 excellent digs and 21 excellent receptions.
Bernadette Pons ended her UAAP career with an equally MVP-like performance with a triple-double built on 16 attacks, 15 excellent digs and 15 excellent receptions.
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