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The UP Fighting Maroons celebrate a point during their UAAP Season 87 women's volleyball clash with the La Salle Lady Spikers Sunday at the Big Dome.
(UAAP Media Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines -- Still alive.
The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons kept their Final Four hopes alive after eking out a five-set win over the La Salle Lady Spikers, 26-24, 18-25, 19-25, 25-22, 16-14, in their UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball matchup Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
UP rose to 6-6 in the season, while La Salle is now tied with the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses with an 8-4 slate.
Joan Monares spearheaded the Fighting Maroons with 16 points on 15 attacks and a block. Kassandra Doering also took charge late, finishing with 15 points, while Kianne Olango and Nina Ytang had 14 and 11, respectively.
Facing elimination after trailing two sets to one, UP was trailing by two, 15-17, in the fourth set after an Alleiah Malaluan service ace.
But the Fighting Maroons relied on Olango and Monares to force a fifth set, 25-22.
The fifth set was tied at 4-all after an error by Monares. But a 6-1 run, capped by an attack error by Malaluan, gave UP a 10-5 lead.
La Salle, though, did not give up, cutting the deficit to just one, 12-13, after an error by Olango.
But a costly service error by Amie Provido pushed the Fighting Maroons to the match point, 14-12.
Canino, however, tied things up with a kill and a block, 14-all.
But a quick by Doering and a kill by Monares sealed the deal for the Diliman-based squad.
Shevana Laput paced La Salle with 27 points on 20 attacks, four blocks and three service aces, while Canino backstopped with 25 points. Provido had 12 markers.
The Fighting Maroons are now knocking on the Final Four door as they are right behind the 8-5 Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws.
UP still has two matches left – against UST on April 23 and the also-ran Adamson Lady Falcons on April 27.
On the other hand, La Salle will face Adamson on April 23 and FEU on April 26.
