US NCAA vet Jill Santos gets rare play time as La Salle bombs UE for solo No. 2

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Nine La Salle players etch their names on the scoreboard, including collegiate veteran Jill Santos, as the Lady Spikers fend off winless UE to separate themselves from the rest of the Final Four-hunting pack

MANILA, Philippines – UAAP title-chasing La Salle showcased its full might on hapless UE to the tune of a 25-22, 25-13, 25-23 sweep at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, April 5, as the Season 87 women’s volleyball Final Four race continues to take shape.

La Salle rose to an 8-3 record behind NU (9-1), solidifying its hold on second place and avoiding a logjam with fellow contenders UST (7-4) and FEU (6-4), while also-ran UE fell to 0-11.

Nine Lady Spikers scored in the blowout affair, led by former MVP Angel Canino with 16 points off 12 attacks, 3 blocks, and 1 ace, while season MVP candidate Shevana Laput scored 14.

Notably, US NCAA collegiate veteran Jillian Santos finally got extended run, tallying 6 points after riding the bench for much of her UAAP seniors debut season.

The wing spiker is now on her fifth career stop as a La Salle masteral student after attending NU and UST high school, Ateneo as a COVID reserve in Season 84, and the University of Illinois-Chicago in the last three seasons.

From a nip-and-tuck opening frame that stayed knotted until the 19-all mark, La Salle then flexed its championship-level might in the second, rising from an early 3-1 deficit with a crushing 14-3 rally for the 15-6 separation, ending with back-to-back UE errors that essentially spelled its doom with one set left.

Though the Lady Warriors strived to change the narrative in the third frame, even forcing a 21-all tie off a Laput error, Canino capped a 3-1 fightback with a definitive kill for match point, 24-22, before Laput responded to a Khy Cepada attack, 24-23, with a down-the-line hit off a long rally for the 25-23 finish.

“This win is so important because we’re trying to clinch that No. 2 spot and the twice-to-beat advantage heading to the Final Four,” La Salle assistant coach and former NCAA champion spiker Kerth Melliza said in Filipino.

“Regarding our remaining games, Coach Ramil (de Jesus) always says to take it one game at a time and always respect the opponent regardless of strength.”

Van Bangayan and Cepada paced another sorry loss with 13 and 11 points, respectively, as UE remains the only team to be out of contention in the heated tournament. – Rappler.com