Fan Central: Why the DLSU Lady Spikers will win on Sunday MANILA — With both squads coming into Sunday’s rematch with untarnished records, the highly anticipated face-off between last year’s finalists Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University has been the talk of the town for over a week now. Happening at the Mall of Asia Arena after the equally explosive match-up between National University and Adamson University, the battle for supremacy—and the bragging rights—will be the big prize as only one team gets to go home unscathed. We all know this will be, by far, the most awaited game of the season, with both squads well-equipped with a good combination of reliable veterans and role playing rookies. We’ve all watched the Lady Spikers flourish in the taraflex, playing the brand of volleyball Coach Ramil de Jesus boasts. Although they may have faltered in certain games, displayed complacency in some sets, and dropped a couple of sets in the tourney, this squad is still talented enough to seal the deal against any opponent. Most of the players have already matured and the majority are familiar with their roles in the team, making them a tough contender in the league. Below are the reasons why I think the De La Salle Lady Spikers will end the first round with a victory: 1. Relentless blocking Expect the Lady Spikers to depend on their excellent blocking that has kept this team afloat this season. During the DLSU-UE game, they managed 3.33 kill blocks per set, which is already remarkable on its own. Mika Reyes is currently second in the blocking department and let’s all bet she will be a major factor in the game. If she can keep up, play with consistency and throw in bonus points with quick hits, then we’re set. We can expect Coach Ramil de Jesus to throw curveballs at the other team, too, tossing in unexpected reinforcements to help out Reyes. Ara Galang can contribute in blocking as well, since she’s among the top five best blockers right now. With Reyes and Galang at the blocking helm, along with Fajardo, Dy, Baron, Cheng, Demecillo and the others, we’re sure to have a Taft Wall that has been proven difficult to break over the years. 2. Heavy serves What killed them last season could be their biggest weapon this year. Perched atop as the best serving team in the league, it is impressive that Galang, Cheng, Kim Fajardo and Reyes are all in the top ten best servers so far. If they can minimize the errors and aim at a specific target, they can get extra points from the service line without a sweat. The only obstacle they might face is that they’re against a very good receiving team but I have faith in these players. They’re going to pull through. 3. Keep their emotions in check We’ve all seen the team be rattled on more than one occasion while playing. We can’t fault them for that; it’s natural for nerves to creep in while playing. With that said, I’m counting on them to compartmentalize their emotions and stop looking back at last season’s heartbreak. This is where Galang’s leadership will come into play. She needs to be able to steer the team into the right direction. Somewhere they will be calm, play with no pressure, and just have fun. We’re lucky that Galang has already proven that she can do it. They may have a good chance to come away with the win if they stick to their roles, follow Coach Ramil’s game plan and execute it well. They key is to communicate, trust each other, and play steady team volleyball. Honestly, they’ve already beaten Ateneo a number of times in the past, I find no reason for them to lose. Granted that it’s a different set of Lady Eagles now, more resilient, more solid, and with a different program, I believe that the De La Salle Lady Spikers still have what it takes. The team has the heart of a champion and animo, expect them to leave it all out on the court, show no mercy, and prove that they’re an even better team now. Make us proud, ladies! — Rivals 2015 [panch] rivals.ph/fan-central/2015/01/10/20197/de-la-salle-lady-spikers-will-win-sunday/
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 06:06:14 +0000
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