The La Salle Lady Spikers once again proved who are the real UAAP queens.
Displaying the fire and passion they dished out in winning the coveted plum last May, the Lady Spikers outlasted the University of Santo Tomas Tigresses, 22-25, 25-18, 14-25, 26-24, 26-24 to advance to the 2023 Shakey’ Super League (SSL) National Invitationals finals Friday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
The Lady Spikers saved match points one after another in the fourth and fifth sets to complete another wondrous come-from-behind win and arrange a best-of-three finale against Adamson.
The Lady Falcons earlier drubbed the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta in straight sets, 25-19, 25-21, 25-16, in the other semis pairing.
La Salle erased a 21-24 deficit in the fourth set behind a 5-0 closeout to force a rubber match, where it saved seven more match points for a thrilling victory in two hours and 23 minutes.
A crosscourt kill by Alleiah Malaluan after a single block from Thea Gagate ended it for La Salle in the nip-and-tuck clincher that stretched all the way to a regular set from a supposedly race-to-15 duel.
Malaluan, returning from a minor knee injury that forced her to play limited action in UAAP Season 85, rediscovered her fine form with 25 points on 20 hits and five aces to banner La Salle’s slim win.
Shevana Laput joined the fray with 23 points as Gagate added 14 points for La Salle, which sports a golden chance to become the first SSL national champion as well after lording it over in the UAAP with a near-perfect run in 16 matches.
Coincidentally, La Salle absorbed its lone UAAP loss against UST that set the stage for another all-out war in the SSL.
Angeline Poyos led UST 29 points while Regina Jurado had 25 in a losing cause for UST.
