UAAP: Angel Canino, La Salle survive UST in five sets in women’s volleyball

The La Salle Lady Spikers won first in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball season. – UAAP PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines – La Salle defeated University of Santo Tomas, 25-20, 16-25, 25-8, 15-25, 16-14, Sunday in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Rookie Angel Canino posted 16 attacks for 18 points plus one block and an ace while Jolina Dela Cruz added 14 points as the Lady Spikers survived their first five sets of the season.

“Both teams were able to win. It was intense and everything came down to the game break. We just got lucky at the end,” said La Salle interim coach Noel Ocullo about his baptism of fire in the UAAP.

It was pure luck, really, for the Lady Spikers after Milena Alessandrini and Eya Laure handed the victory on the plate.

Alessandrini, a former rookie of the year, made a service error, giving the opponent the advantage in the final set, 15-14, before Laure’s power drive out of bounds to the delight of the jampacked La Salle crowd.

“I just thought this game was going to be ours. We just pushed ourselves and gave it our all,” said Canino, a La Salle find from Bacolod City.

The Lady Spikers seemed headed for a quick disposal of the Tigresses after capturing the third set in runaway fashion behind the heroics of Leila Cruz, Thea Gagate, Dela Cruz and Canino.

But the Tigresses refused to just roll over with Laure and Alessandrini pulling out a bag of tricks that stunned La Salle in the fourth frame.

Laure had 19 points, highlighted by 17 attacks, which were combined with eight digs, while the returning Alessandrini, who suffered a knee injury in Season 81, finished with nine kills for 10 points.

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