La Salle, Ateneo dispute crown

LA SALLE and Ateneo arranged a dream Finals rematch after beating their respective Final Four opponents in straight sets fashion in the UAAP Season 75 women's volleyball tournament Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The defending champion Lady Archers used pounced on National University's playoff inexperience to hack out a 25-18, 25-23, 25-18 win while last season’s runner-up Lady Eagles turned back a stubborn Adamson side, 25-23, 25-23, 26-24.

The best-of-three championship series between La Salle and Ateneo starts on Saturday also at the Big Dome, with the Lady Archers seeking a third consecutive crown.

Aside from advancing to the Finals for the fifth straight season, the victory virtually assured La Salle of clinching its first-ever general championship since joining the league in 1986, ending University of Santo Tomas' 14-year reign.

The Lady Bulldogs were aggressive in the early goings but succumbed to tremendous pressure as the Lady Archers pounced on their errors.
The Lady Archers won the second frame after trailing 16-20 with Mika Esperanza capping the set with a block on Mina Aganon.

NU never recovered since then, as La Salle took a 19-10 lead in the third set after the Lady Bulldogs committed successive attacking faults.
The Lady Falcons were up 20-16, but Alyssa Valdez took charge in the Lady Eagles late fightback in the third frame to seal the deal.