By Ardyn Gonzales
The De La Salle University Lady Spikers extended their winning streak over their archrivals Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, 25-12, 25-22, 25-19, in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Two-time and reigning UAAP best middle blocker Thea Gagate dropped 15 points on team-high nine attacks and five kill blocks, and one service ace. Sophomore duo Shevana Laput contributed 13, while Angel Canino added 10.
After escaping the Blue Eagles in a close second set, La Salle did not show any sign of hope as they bombarded Ateneo from offense to defense and built a 16-9 lead heading into the second technical timeout.
Ateneo was able to cut down the lead to four, 19-15, but Canino stopped the bleeding to pull the score away once again. As Canino rotated into the service line, Gagate took over in front and scored consecutive points to complete the sweep and bounce back victory.
Meanwhile, Lyann de Guzman was the lone bright spot for the Blue Eagles, finishing with 15 points including the team-high 13 attacks,
La Salle now carries a 3-1 record, while in contrast, Ateneo falls down to 1-3 after the Lady Spikers’ win.
Featured image courtesy of UAAP
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