De La Salle University clawed its way out of a 1-2 hole before outlasting Far Eastern University, 25-13, 19-25, 21-25, 25-22, 15-8, Saturday night in the Shakeys’ Super League Collegiate Pre-season Championship at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Veterans Alleiah Malaluan, Fifi Sharma, Jolina Dela Cruz and Thea Gagate provided the crucial hits in the fifth set as the Lady Spikers survived a jittery start in Pool D.
La Salle coach Noel Orcullo was far from pleased with his wards’ opening game showing.
“Medyo wala sa huwisyo kumbaga parang sila pa ang na-intimidate sa kalaban which is kami ang dapat na mag-intimidate sa kanila dahil tinalo namin sila nu’ng UAAP,” he said.
The Lady Spikers even had to stave off a late Lady Tamaraws surge in the fourth set to force a deciding frame.
Behind a partisan crowd cheering them on, La Salle found renewed energy to build an 8-5 lead in the fifth set which the Lady Spikers then ballooned to 14-8 before Malaluan closed out the match with a booming crosscourt hit.
FEU failed to pull off another five-set win to slide down to a 1-1 win-loss slate.
