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After falling short for two straight seasons, can DLSU finally reclaim their place on the UAAP volleyball throne?
Since winning it all in Season 85, the DLSU Lady Spikers have yet to taste another UAAP Women’s Volleyball championship.
Their title defense in Season 86 culminated in a rare bronze medal, while Season 87 saw them settle for silver in a finals rematch against the NU Lady Bulldogs.
For Season 88, the mission remains clear for the Taft-based spikers, and that’s to reclaim their status as queens of UAAP volleyball.
“[Our preparation] very much was disciplining ourselves with the system that Coach Ramil [de Jesus] and Coach Noel [Orcullo] have made for us, and just focusing on ourselves,” new captain Shevana Laput said during the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Volleyball Press Conference on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
“I mean, we haven’t done many preseason [tournaments] and a lot of people would say we are lowkey, but I guess that is the reason why Coach Ramil and Coach Noel chose to do this, so that when we come to the season, I guess we’re being underestimated by most people.”
Similar to Season 87, DLSU will once again rely on a younger core, with the group of Laput, Angel Canino, Amie Provido, and Lyka de Leon still assuming leadership duties. Though the Lady Spikers’ veteran presence is rather thin, Laput says that they have the chemistry and winning mindset needed to stay competitive.
“I would say that our team is ‘mas solid’ right now. Especially even though we have a lot of rookies and not that many veterans, we still have our core intact, as well as everyone wants to win. So our chances are being pushed up because of that,” said the towering opposite.
DLSU, Laput said, has also found inspiration in Canino and Provido’s Alas Pilipinas call-ups, being clear examples that the Lady Spikers’ system is capable of producing national team players. Canino has won three international awards since joining Alas in 2024, while Provido was a revelation on defense during the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in December.
“That has definitely added to the girls’ confidence in us as seniors. Having Angel and Amy, having that experience coming from Alas definitely pumps up the girls. We can see that with this Lasallian system, you can reach that national level. So it definitely makes us trust in one another more,” said the new captain.
Still, there will be no room for complacency going into Season 88. National U still remains formidable without Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon, while rival UST is expected to parade a healthier lineup.
Young teams, such as UP and Adamson, have also beefed up their respective lineups, and could emerge as dark horse contenders.
“I mean, yes, we are [taking advantage of it], but at the end of the day, all teams are still very strong. All teams are competitors in this tournament. As Lasallians, we’re coming into this one game at a time, focusing on whoever our competitor is at the moment. And whoever it is at the finals, we will do our best to beat them.”
Images courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.