The De La Salle Lady Spikers swept rivals Ateneo Blue Eagles to nab the top seed in the Final 4 of the UAAP Season 85 women's volleyball tournament, Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
La Salle made quick work of a struggling Ateneo side, 25-22, 25-19, 25-18.
Shevana Laput led DLSU with a career-high 16 points on 15 attacks and a service ace.
The Lady Spikers improved their record to 12-1 while the also-ran Blue Eagles fell to 4-9. La Salle has now won 12 straight matches against their archrivals.
"Actually medyo slow start kami. So pinaalala namin sa mga bata na play with pride. Hindi tayo pwedeng magrerelax dahil 'yung Ateneo lumalaban. Wag kayong mag-antay silang magkamali, hindi pup'wedeng sila gagawa ng puntos para sa atin. Dapat tayo ang gagawa ng puntos para sa atin," said DLSU coach Noel Orcullo.
Ateneo got off a good start with a 16-15 lead over La Salle in Set 1. But the Lady Spikers outplayed the Blue Eagles down the stretch of the opener for a 1-0 lead.
La Salle continued its assault, unleashing a 10-3 run that had Ateneo reeling, 11-17, midway in the second set. The Lady Spikers then defended their side of the court, deflecting attacks at Ateneo's expense to take the frame, 25-19.
Laput and Angel Canino then anchored the La Salle offense in the third set to close out the Blue Eagles.
Thea Gagate dominated with five of De La Salle's 10 blocks, finishing with 12 points, while Jolina Dela Cruz contributed eight points and 11 receptions.
Laput was delighted by her performance, even admitting she did not know she reached a career-high.
"The victory was amazing. We had to fight harder cause we started slow. Pointswise I had no idea I hit that many points and proud of myself though," she said.
In the losing effort, Vanie Gandler tallied 13 points, seven receptions, and four digs, while Faith Nisperos added 12 points, including three service aces.
Both teams will conclude their elimination round campaigns on Saturday, with Ateneo facing National University and De La Salle meeting University of the East.
