The De La Salle Lady Spikers shone brighter as they flickered their flicks against the defending champions NU Lady Bulldogs in a grueling effort 19-25, 23-25, 25-15, 25-17, 15-10, handing over the coveted championship crown in UAAP Season 85 Women's Volleyball in front of thousands of jam-packed volleyball fans at the Mall of Asia Arena, May 14.
Super rookie Angel Canino's scoring blitz energized the Arena with a 19-point outburst along with the outstanding effort of Thea Gagate and Shevana Laput tallying 17 points and 12 points respectively, to demolish their opponent in an incredible fashion.
Down two sets to none, the Lady Spikers regained their composure after a stumble upon lapse set forth by Alyssa Solomon of Lady Bulldogs faltering a 3 points unanswered taking the courtesy of Gagate to cement the matchmaking deuce.
Solomon, however, failed to lift her team to another glory as she sank their team-high 34 points in a losing effort.
From what appeared to be a clear NU Bulldog blowout emerged the unwavering determination of seniors Mars Alba and Jolina Dela Cruz, passionately exemplifying an excellent connection and mainly averting the execution.
On the other hand, the Lamina-Belen tandem sought to establish a comeback after a terribly played third set, but they fell short and were subdued by Canino doing a superb job at the service line dominating the service department.
Apart from Fifi Sharma, the game changer Larroza shone with major contributions to embark on a stunning come-from-behind win against the defending champs, earning 11 points and four points respectively, emerged from the pothole-filled recovery, spearheading the drive to send the title match to a fifth set decider.
A series of exchanges and breath-taking rallies occurred during the decisive stretch of the game as both squads produced powerful hits and faced tough defense, but the Lady Spikers nabs the victory to bring the crown back to the Taft.
Several DLSU Lady Spikers won individual awards at the #UAAPSeason85 Women's Volleyball tournament. Thea Gagate was named First Best Middle Blocker, while Jolina Dela Cruz and Angel Canino were named First and Second Best Hitters, respectively.
Canino, the league's second-ever rookie-MVP, further demonstrated her mettle by capturing both the Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player (MVP) title. Mars Alba, the Lady Spikers' team captain, was named Best Setter and UAAP Women's Volleyball Finals MVP this season.