Mauling at MOA: La Salle wins 11th straight over Ateneo off Canino’s 23
MANILA, Philippines – The La Salle Lady Spikers continued to dominate their one-sided rivalry against the Ateneo Blue Eagles after a convincing 25-16, 25-20, 25-13 sweep to take solo first place in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament at the packed Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, March 5.
Super rookie Angel Canino rose up another level against a heated environment and reset her season-high scoring mark with 23 points off 21 points, 1 block, and 1 ace for a 3-0 record, sending Ateneo down a 1-2 slate after its 11th straight loss La Salle dating back to 2017.
Veteran Jolina dela Cruz backstopped Canino’s explosion with 13 points off 10 attacks and 3 blocks, while Thea Gagate chipped in 10 points in the blowout in front of 10,754 fans.
It was practically a no-contest from buzzer to buzzer as Ateneo had their best shot in the second set, getting as near as two, 17-19, before Canino once again led a late pullaway for the 2-0 lead.
The game turned even more lopsided in the third as the Lady Spikers shifted to a higher gear from a 15-9 lead, dropped one final 8-3 burst to mount a 23-12 separation, and never looked back as Dela Cruz scored the last two kills to seal the deal for good.
Only Faith Nisperos breached double-digit scoring in the sorry loss with 11 points off 10 attacks and 1 block, while Vanie Gandler and Yvana Sulit scored 6 apiece.
La Salle, the only unbeaten team left in the young season, next shoots for a 4-0 start as it next faces the winless UE Lady Warriors on Wednesday, March 8, 10 am, at the Araneta Coliseum.
Ateneo, meanwhile, looks to bounce back against the FEU Lady Tamaraws in the second game of the quadruple-header at 12 pm.
Meanwhile, over at the men’s division, La Salle also blanked rival Ateneo, albeit after a highly-contested second set, 25-18, 33-31, 25-22, to break a 1-1 standings tie.
Noel Kampton led the tight affair with 17 attacks off 14 attacks, 2 blocks, and 1 ace, while Mark Ronquillo and Billie Jean Anima scored 13 apiece.
Jian Salarzon paced the sorry loss with 14 points as Kennedy Batas backstopped the effort with 13 points. – Rappler.com