It was the graduating Marano who provided the much-needed psychological boost for the seemingly relaxing Lady Spikers, scoring off six timely running spikes in the fourth set that pierced the aching floor defense of the Lady Eagles. She finished with eight kills and three blocks. Photo by Martin San Diego
La Salle’s tried and tested scoring triumvirate stepped up as the Lady Spikers escaped arch nemesis Ateneo de Manila, 25-14, 25-20, 19-25, 26-24 Saturday in Game Two of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball finals inside a jampacked Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The big three spikers Ara Galang, Mika Reyes, and Abi Marano combined for 17 points in the fourth set, banking on their finals experience and scoring by their favorite spiking forms to lift La Salle to a 2-1 advantage in the finals.
Galang led all scorers with 17 points, six of which came from the fourth set. Reyes, on her part, finished with 14 points, five of which scored in the final set off quick hits.
But it was the graduating Marano who provided the much-needed psychological boost for the seemingly relaxing Lady Spikers, scoring off six timely running spikes in the fourth set that pierced the aching floor defense of the Lady Eagles. She finished with eight kills and three blocks.
“We studied the reason why we lost last game and we made the necessary adjustments, particularly in reception,” said Galang, who also dug nine power spikes from the Lady Eagles.
“We focused on our execution that’s why the sets were good and the attacks went well,” she added.
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According to La Salle head coach Ramil de Jesus, motivation was the key for the win.
“I want the players to be motivated so they would see that I also wanted to win the championship as much as they do,” he said.
While lagging on their reception to start the game, missing two services from Ella de Jesus and one free ball from Denden Lazaro, the Lady Spikers’ guns went ablaze after a 9-9 tie in the first set with spikes from Galang and a string of unforced errors from Ateneo.
La Salle then shut the door for Ateneo on the net as Marano hit two successive blocks for an irreversible lead at 23-13.
In the second set, setter Kim Fajardo showed her genius, scoring five points from aces, blocks, and drop balls while setting the ball up to a variety of spiking angles. The Lady Spikers also seized the absence of the season’s best libero Denden Lazaro, who went down with a tweaked ankle, pounding Ateneo’s rear zones to end the set comfortably leading at 25-20.
With benchwarmers Marge Tejada and Kim Gequillana replacing the lackluster Michelle Morente and Aerieal Patnongon, Ateneo bounced back as the two combined for five points, leading the Lady Eagles from a bad 0-4 start in the third set.
After a 12-12, a block from Tejada and a booming spike from Gequillana sparked Ateneo’s offense to a 17-13 lead as season most valuable player Alyssa Valdez and utility spiker Kiwi Ahomiro stepped up to maintain the lead. Gequillana closed the set at 25-19 with a down-the-line spike, breathing in life to the Lady Eagles.
The fourth commenced as a showdown of La Salle’s big three and Ateneo’s trio of Valdez, Ahomiro, and Ella de Jesus, exchanging blows to each other’s defenses.
La Salle gained steam though with successive running spikes by Marano and quick hits by Reyes for a 13-9 lead.
Galang then followed up with two open spikes and one block midway in the set while Marano continued to pounce her running spikes for a 20-15 lead.
The Lady Spikers though went cold on the receiving end as the Lady Eagles, facing three game points, managed to crawl back with two aces from Valdez to extend the set at 24-24.
Valdez though succumbed to the pressure, muffing her next serve as Gequillana committed a bad set that went unspiked as the La Salle escaped with the win.
“We underwent a tough step ladder stage. Our win against Adamson was not easy as well as our games against NU,” explained Valdez, who led her team with 15 points.
She also explained that Lazaro’s injury in the second set was a big loss as she “is the life of the team because the offense starts from her, and without her reception, good frontline plays were not executed well.”
Facing their fourth do-or-die game this season, Valdez said that their season is an on-going “learning experience, particularly for the rookies.”
The Lady Eagles will try another Houdini act on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
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