Standing at 1-2 before this game, the Ateneo Lady Spikers could not muster enough effort to contain the reigning first-runners up from last season. Led by scoring efforts from super senior Stephanie Mercado and hustle plays from libero Melissa Gohing, the De La Salle University Lady Spikers handed the Ateneo Lady Spikers their second straight loss on December 12, 2010, at the Filoil Arena.
The first set started off easy for the ladies in Blue, making an 8-4 burst which prompted La Salle Coach Ramil de Jesus to call an early timeout. La Salle responded strong, making a run that gave De La Salle an 11-10 edge. Their solid play continued throughout the set, with superb blocking play, utilizing their length. After Ateneo called a timeout when they were down five points 19-14, La Salle pounced haplessly, en route to a 25-17 first set victory.
Ateneo tried to fight back in the second set, but La Salle kept the edge, 6-4. Gohing’s dives for balls that almost hit outside paid off, giving them an 8-5 edge, now prompting Ateneo Coach Roger Gorayeb to call a timeout. Blocks from Jacqueline Alarca and Michelle Gumabao denied Lady Spikers’ Fille Cainglet’s and Angeline Gervacio’s spikes. Despite a short 5-2 run by Ateneo, De La Salle banked on Stephanie Mercado’s attacks to take over the second set, 25-16.
The Lady Spikers continued to fight in the third set, going neck to neck against the lower intensity ladies in green. La Salle could not break off the tight game, with Ateneo chasing them off for every point. La Salle broke off a deadlock, 13-12, but Ateneo responded strong, with points coming off Gervacio’s powerful spikes, while Rookie libero Denn Lazaro neutralized Mercado’s attacks. Ateneo finally gave themselves legitimate breathing distance, 20-18. After another timeout from Coach De Jesus, both teams found themselves in another deadlock, 21-21.
Both teams fought to the death for every point , with each possession taking longer than those in the first set, until spikes from Gervacio and Cainglet finished off the set for the Lady Eagles, 25-23—forcing the Lady Archers to give up their first set of their UAAP campaign.
La Salle stood their ground and came back strong in the fourth set, starting 3-0.From this point on, the Green Lady Spikers went on to haplessly finish the set. The game ended 25-13.
Mercado led DLSU with 18 points, 12 off spikes and three off services, The Archers’ Cha Cruz scored an impressive 17 points, with 11 off spikes. Third-year player Gervacio led the way for the slumping Blue Lady Spikers with 18 points, 14 off spikes, followed by fellow junior Cainglet with 15 points, 14 off spikes.
The Lady Spikers next face Adamson, December 15 (Wednesday), at the Filoil Arena.
