UST’s stunning upset over DLSU through the numbers
By Rob Andrew Dongiapon
The DLSU Lady Spikers headed into Sunday’s matchup against the UST Golden Tigresses as the heavy favorites. Despite dueling in a five-set thriller in the season opener, the initial perceptions were justifiable owing to the fact that La Salle have won its first nine games in fairly dominant fashion.
They exited the night, however, with their then-perfect slate blemished which also put the Tigresses on a newfound momentum to build on for the rest of the season.
The significance of UST’s 25–19, 25–14, 25–18, 25–12 victory versus the erstwhile undefeated DLSU cannot be understated. It was a win that not only tested the moral fiber of the Golden Tigresses but also a testament to the ceiling this team can reach once its flair is realized.
In the first round, the Lady Spikers only conceded three sets in their seven-game winning romp. The set losses came from two teams: Adamson Lady Falcons (1) and the Golden Tigresses (2).
That number has now risen to five for UST, giving the España-based squad a wide margin over any team in the UAAP in terms of the yardstick imprinted by De La Salle in the women’s volleyball tournament.
Amplifying her usual superstar form, Eya Laure spearheaded the victory with 29 points, all off attacks. Laure was virtually unstoppable from start to finish as she brought UST’s offense to new heights.
Laure eked out 65 attempts in the attacking department throughout. Her attack errors set down at six as she finished off with a hitting percentage — which are net points per swing attempt and calculated by subtracting attack errors from kills divided by total attempts — of 45%, an above average mark for such a high volume spiker.
It was a brilliant display of scoring prowess for Laure, which not only lifted the Tigresses’ win-loss slate at 7–3 but also put her as the top scorer of the season so far, bumping DLSU’s super rookie Angel Canino down to number two.
Canino led Laure, 143–139, in the scoring race before the matchup, but the latter’s outburst closed in the gap which ended at a 168–156 head-to-head edge.
Canino was held to just 13 points, with her being the lone double-digit scorer for the Lady Spikers. It was a containment unlike any other for the Tigresses, keeping Canino to only 12 attacks on 45 attempts — an uncharacteristic efficiency relative to her performances this season.
While the Lady Spikers never got the output it needed outside of a struggling Canino, the Golden Tigresses re-discovered its x-factor in former rookie of the year Milena Alessandrini.
Alessandrini played the best game so far in her return this season, churning out 20 points on 17 attacks and three blocks alongside nine excellent receptions.
What she did against the top-seeded Lady Spikers was a massive indication as to where she is right now in her road back to form after succumbing to season-ending injuries. As she returns to the semblance of who she was from years back, Milena should be key cog, alongside Eya, in UST title aspirations.
Alessandrini and Laure converged for 46 total attacks in the win. The duo’s tally alone outscored the entire DLSU team by six points, exhibiting the domination inflicted by the Tigresses en route to the upset victory.
This supremacy on the attacking facet would not be as impressive as it was without the ingenious second balls of setter Cassie Carballo.
Carballo came out with 18 excellent sets, transforming herself as the driver of the well-oiled Tigresses’ machine. Her quick-witted setups, which saw her oftentimes contorting her body to elude blockers and activate UST’s decoys, unlocked the Tigresses’ hits and allowed them to exact maximum impact.
Her great reads, instincts, and anticipation against La Salle’s defense was also apparent in the matchup as her familiarity with Canino, who was her former teammate in high school, may had played a part in this. Be that as it may, Carballo’s superb performance proved her mettle in such a huge game.
Meanwhile, libero Bernadett Pepito provided the backline defensive help for the Tigresses. Her 25 excellent digs and 11 receptions immobilized the Lady Spikers’ offensive charges which empowered UST’s own scoring opportunities that proved vital in the team’s triumph.
From top to bottom, the Tigresses’ efforts shone brightly as the Lady Spikers dazzled in their first defeat this season.
Laure, as UST’s team captain, commended and emphasized the importance of this type of performance for the rest of the season.
“Hindi kakayanin ng isa. Kailangan talaga, para makakuha ng panalo, kailangan magwork as a team. Yun talaga yung parang isa sa mga learnings ko,” Laure said.
“Nakakatuwa kasi ang daming mga umaangat, sabay sabay kaming umaangat. ‘Yun ang pinakamaganda na nangyayari ngayon,” she added.
The Golden Tigresses will be back in action against the Ateneo Blue Eagles on April 15 at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
