The De La Salle Lady Spikers overpowered the Ateneo Lady Eagles in four sets, 25-17, 17-25, 25-17, 25-15, in the first rivalry showdown of the UAAP Season 82 women's volleyball tournament Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The rookie-laden La Salle team kicked off its campaign on a high note at the expense of defending champion Ateneo, which suffered its first loss in two games.
Tin Tiamzon led the way with an all-around effort of 17 points, 12 digs, and 13 receptions. Jolina dela Cruz contributed 13 points and 10 receptions, while middle blocker Thea Gagate impressed in her collegiate debut, unleashing 10 points built on five attacks and five blocks.
"It was a very crucial game for us. There were first game jitters. But even if our players are young, they were able to recover from their mistakes," said DLSU head coach Ramil de Jesus.
Behind Dela Cruz, the Lady Spikers imposed their might and waxed hot in the opening set. In contrast, the Lady Eagles struggled to defend and get their rhythm going.
Ateneo came alive in the second set, starting off on a roll before La Salle regained control. Down 16-12, the Lady Eagles closed out with an inspired 13-1 rally, aided by multiple errors from the Lady Spikers. Jaja Maraguinot capped off the run with a down-the-line kill.
The third set began with a tight back-and-forth exchange until La Salle broke away late. Leila Cruz, Michelle Cobb, and Gagate conspired down the stretch to push the Lady Spikers ahead, two sets to one.
La Salle cruised through the fourth set, limiting Ateneo to just 15 points, to seal the victory. Tiamzon scored off the block for the match point, then Cruz converted the winning play following a successful block touch challenge.
The Lady Spikers came out victorious despite committing a whopping 33 errors. They banked on their 53-33 advantage in attacking, complemented by better floor and net defense, to compensate for their miscues.
Faith Nisperos continued to shine for the Lady Eagles as she topped with 13 points including 10 spikes. Returnee Jho Maraguinot added nine points in the loss.
Meanwhile, the Ateneo Blue Eagles booked their first win of the season after sweeping the De La Salle Green Archers 25-20, 25-19, 27-25 in the men's division.
Chu Njigha exploded for 20 points highlighted by 18 attacks. Kurt Aguilar and Ron Medalla also came up huge in the clutch, finishing with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Libero Manuel Sumanguid anchored the Blue Eagles' defense as he tallied 20 excellent receptions and 13 digs.
"I'm just happy that everyone performed well today, knowing that we came from a tough loss against UP," said Ateneo coach Timmy Sto. Tomas. "I was very happy that my players stood up to the call that we needed to bounce back this game."
The Green Archers made the final rallies of the third set competitive, even snatching the set point at 26-25 after a crucial block by Vince Maglinao. But a costly error doomed their chances as Medalla capitalized and ended the match with a block.
Wayne Marco delivered 11 points and 18 excellent sets for La Salle. Maglinao had nine points, 15 receptions, and seven digs in the loss.
DLSU will head to a battle against UP on Tuesday, while Ateneo will clash with UE on Wednesday at the same venue.