The De La Salle University Lady Spikers leaned on their experience to defeat the Adamson University Lady Falcons, securing a victory with scores of 25-19, 25-22, and 25-17 in Game 3 of the Shakey’s Super League finals on Sunday night at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
Shevana Laput contributed 13 points through 11 hits and two blocks, leading the charge for the Lady Spikers, who clinched the league championship with a 2-1 victory in the best-of-three series.
The second-year Lady Spikers volleyball player was subsequently recognized as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, achieving an average of 20.3 points in the finals. Her performance was highlighted by a remarkable 30-point outburst during the Game 1 loss.
Thea Gagate (1st Middle Blocker), Amie Provido (2nd Best Middle Blocker), and Alleiah Malaluan (2nd Best Outside Hitter) each contributed 10 points for the reigning UAAP women’s volleyball champions.
“Sa amin, exposure ang hanap namin dito pero ito bonus na nag-champion. Maganda kasi kahit paano, nakita namin ‘yung mga kulang pa at kailangang i-adjust pagdating ng UAAP,” said DLSU assistant coach Noel Orcullo.
Facing an 8-11 deficit early in the first set, the Lady Spikers unleashed a 10-1 scoring surge, culminating in a Gagate block, to seize control at 18-12 and ultimately secure a 25-19 set victory.
Building on that momentum, the Lady Spikers maintained their stride in the second set, sprinting to an 18-7 lead. Despite the Lady Falcons’ resurgence that narrowed the gap to 22-23, consecutive hits from Provido and Gagate enabled DLSU to clinch the set victory and escape with the win.
From that point on, DLSU faced no significant challenges. They sprinted off the blocks with a scorching 9-4 start in the fourth set, led by Laput, Provido, and Gagate. This strong performance allowed them to avenge their runner-up finish from the first conference of Shakey’s last year.
Lucille Almonte, who delivered an impressive 24-point performance in a dramatic Game 1 comeback for the Lady Falcons, contributed 11 points to lead the team as runner-up finishers.
Adamson is currently in the process of adjusting under the guidance of their new head coach, JP Yude.
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