DE LA SALLE made quick work of National University, 27-25, 25-22, 25-11, to claim another championship round stint in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball Final Four yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Kim Kianna Dy scattered 15 of her 17 points from spikes, Tin Tiamzon added 11 hits, while libero Dawn Macandili collected 23 digs and 10 excellent receptions for the Lady Spikers.
Gunning for its third consecutive championship, De La Salle will take on title-starved Far Eastern University in the best-of-three series starting on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The two of the league’s most successful women’s volleyball programs will face off in the last dance for the first time since the 2008-09 season, when the Lady Spikers rallied from a 0-1 series hole to beat the Lady Tamaraws.
The Lady Bulldogs, back in the semifinals, were very much in the game in the first two sets but the Bustillos-based spikers were simply outclassed in the third frame.
“Sinabi ko sa kanila huwag natin bigyan ng chance na makakuha ng kumpiyansa ang NU. Kasi kung nakuha nila ang first set, mahirap ang pagdadaanan namin,” said De La Salle coach Ramil de Jesus.
The Bulldogs still have something to celebrate about.
Earlier, NU marched into the men’s Finals for the sixth straight season but not after overcoming a third set University of Santo Tomas scare, 25-13, 25-13, 31-29.
NU, the elimination round topnotcher, will take on the winner of Wednesday’s do-or-die semifinals match between defending champion Ateneo and FEU.
The Bulldogs have split their two meetings with the Blue Eagles, and have swept the Tamaraws in their two elimination round duels.