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| Shevana Laput made an impressive season debut for La Salle. UAAP Season 88 Media Team |
PASAY—De La Salle University (DLSU) opened its UAAP women's volleyball season with authority as it delivered a commanding straight-sets victory over Far Eastern University (FEU), 25–19, 25–15, 27–25, on Saturday night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
From the first whistle, La Salle leaned on its go-to weapon, Shevana Laput, who imposed her will early and never relented.
Laput’s sharp attacks and timely serves set the tone in the opening frame, where La Salle pulled away late after a tightly contested start.
FEU kept within striking distance behind Gerzel Petallo, but Laput’s nine-point burst in the set proved decisive.
The second set was all green.
DLSU tightened its defense and unleashed a barrage from the service line, highlighted by back-to-back aces that widened the gap.
Laput continued to find seams in FEU’s block, while the Lady Spikers’ net defense began to suffocate the Lady Tamaraws’ offense.
By the time the dust settled, La Salle had built an insurmountable cushion and cruised to a Set 1 win.
FEU showed its grit in the third. Refusing to fold, the Lady Tamaraws traded punches behind Petallo and Loresco, pushing the set into an extended duel.
The momentum swung wildly as both squads battled through long rallies and pressure-packed exchanges. But in the clutch, La Salle’s stars delivered: Laput hammered key points, and Angel Canino rose to the occasion with critical attacks as DLSU closed the door, 27–25.
Laput finished with a match-high 23 points, anchoring DLSU’s offensive charge.
Canino added 15 markers, while Provido chipped in 11, punctuated by a strong presence at the net. Petallo paced FEU with 11 points, with Loresco contributing eight.
The numbers underscored La Salle’s dominance, particularly in blocking where DLSU held an emphatic 11–3 advantage — a testament to their discipline and timing at the net.
Laput said that she believes this is the time for her and Angel to get back on the top.
"It shows that we're a team that wants to win, we're a team that wans to redeem ourselves. And for the past two years, Angel and I, we've come third and second and make it makes sense that we come first now," Laput said.
