La Salle’s Shevana Laput looks to score against UST in UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball.–UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—After several tries, La Salle finally beat University of Santo Tomas on Saturday in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament.
The Lady Spikers had been on the losing end of their matchup with the Golden Tigresses in their previous four meetings prior to their heartstopping win on Saturday night.
“This has been a long time coming and this is something we’ve been wanting ever since last year,” said La Salle star Shevana Laput following their 15-25, 25-17, 14-26, 25-20, 16-14 victory at Araneta Coliseum.
READ: UAAP: Reg Jurado says UST lacks ‘mental toughness’ after loss
La Salle’s Alleiah Malaluan, Amie Provido, assistant coach Noel Orcullo and Shevana Laput after their grind-it-out win vs. UST. @INQUIRERSports #UAAPSeason87 pic.twitter.com/b6QgOpjc19
— Rommel Fuertes Jr. (@MeloFuertesINQ) March 29, 2025
UST was a thorn in La Salle’s side dating back to last season when the Tigresses swept the Lady Spikers in the elimination round before knocking them off in the Final Four that pulled the plug on La Salle’s title repeat bid.
La Salle got its first shot at redemption against UST last month but the Tigresses came out on top again in five sets.
All those losses, however, made the victory even sweeter for Laput and La Salle.
“This is a big ‘hugot’ for us so there’s nothing to say except that I’m proud of this. I’m happy with the result but of course, there’s always room for improvement,” she added.
Angel Canino led the way for La Salle with 27 points, 13 excellent receptions and 13 excellent digs. Laput backstopped Canino, who was taken to the hospital after the match, with 16 points.
One of the improvements that Laput referred to was their mental psyche.
READ: UAAP: Angel Canino rushed to hospital after La Salle win over UST
It seemed like they had that department in check against the Golden Tigresses, though, as the Lady Spikers showed great resolve in rallying from a 2-1 set deficit en route to their sixth win in nine outings.
Still, it’s something worth noting as they try to improve their positioning with the Final Four race heating up.
“What we need to work on is the mental aspect. That’s something that we learned in the last round with that NU loss,” Laput said.
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“The question is who wants it more and the answer has to be that we want it more.”
La Salle shoots for win No. 7 against Ateneo on Wednesday at Araneta Coliseum.
