MANILA, Philippines — La Salle flaunted its formidable frontline led by Amie Provido to tally a season-high 20 blocks in a crucial win over University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament on Wednesday.

Provido anchored her team’s staunch defensive performance with five kill blocks as the Lady Spikers claimed the second seed and the last twice-to-beat Final Four bonus.

“It means a lot because my teammates trust me. Honestly, before, I wasn’t that confident in my blocking. But with the help of Coach Noel and the whole coaching staff, who really worked with me, I was able to draw strength from that. It helped me believe I could do it,” said Provido in Filipino after finishing with 10 points in the 23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 29-27 victory at Mall of Asia Arena.

READ: UAAP: Shevana Laput, La Salle ‘rewrites story’ with playoff win over UST

Amie Provido after providing five of La Salle’s 20 kill blocks. #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/UGvWJfvOX1

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Provido, who is in her third year, said the Lady Spikers also drew strength from their previous losses.

“I’m just really happy with how the team showed up today. Everyone really showed that they wanted it—they played with heart. So I just gave my best for them, and they were actually my motivation, along with the coaches. The difference now is we’re more confident—not just in ourselves, but in each other. That trust makes us play more as one,” she added.

La Salle deputy coach Noel Orcullo said their season-high in blocks was all about “timing.”

“We always tell the players that blocking isn’t just about height—it’s all about timing. It’s about how you read the setter, how they’re going to set the ball, and how the spiker plans to attack. You have to anticipate what the spiker is thinking and how they’ll execute the hit so you can time your block properly and shut it down,” said Orcullo in Filipino.

READ: UAAP: La Salle claims twice-to-beat, fends off UST in playoff

“It starts with reading the setter, then tracking the ball as it’s set, and finally, watching how the spiker approaches and hits. That’s how you read your opponent and get the perfect timing for a block.”

After a strong showing in the playoff, Provido stressed the job is far from done as the Lady Spikers seek to sustain their fine form in the Final Four against UST on Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We really have to fix our errors, especially our service errors. There were just too many today. We need to work on that because the upcoming matches are going to be even more important,” she said.