La Salle Lady Spikers’ legendary coach Ramil de Jesus during the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball Final Four. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — La Salle has been part of storied rivalries in the UAAP women’s volleyball over the past three decades, from facing old rivals Far Eastern University and the University of Santo Tomas to battling Alyssa Valdez and the Ateneo Blue Eagles in six straight Finals.
But coach Ramil De Jesus and this batch of Lady Spikers have found a new rival in National University, led by Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon, when they fight for the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball crown starting May 11 at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
READ: UAAP: Pride and redemption fuel La Salle’s finals return
“We all know NU. Those players have been together since high school. Their chemistry and experience run deep. So for us, we just really need to prepare well,” said the La Salle coach in Filipino after exacting sweet revenge on UST in the UAAP Final Four, 25-22, 11-25, 25-21, 25-21, on Saturday at the Big Dome.
Coaching legacy
Coach Ramil De Jesus on his 21st finals appearance. #UAAPSeason87 | @LanceAgcaoilINQ pic.twitter.com/xAJxP6i6NT
— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) May 3, 2025
De Jesus’ Lady Spikers will be the challengers, once again, against Belen and Solomon, who are leading their successful transition from Nazareth School to college with first-time but decorated PVL champion coach Sherwin Meneses, in a best-of-three title series.
The multititled coach, on his 21st championship series in the UAAP, remains passionate and hungry to deliver for La Salle despite all his achievements that include 12 UAAP titles and more than 300 wins.
“Maybe it’s just the result of hard work. This is my passion as a coach, helping young players grow, bringing out their talent,” said De Jesus.
READ: UAAP: Malaluan brings experience into third La Salle-NU title clash
“And once you manage to guide them all the way to the finals, it’s a huge sense of fulfillment. That’s one of the things that keeps me motivated—being able to teach them what they need to learn and lead them to that stage.”
While this is the third installment of the La Salle-NU finals series in the past four seasons, there’s still no telling how things will go down despite their previous records.
NU completed a perfect 16-0 title run in Season 84, taking down La Salle in a bubble format.
But the Lady Spikers’ fortunes immediately changed with Angel Canino’s arrival. She made history as the league’s second rookie MVP after Belen did it a year before then helped end the Lady Bulldogs’ reign with No.12 for the school in 2023.
Matching NU’s level
La Salle Lady Spikers during a UAAP Season 87 Final Four game against UST Tigresses. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Canino and Co., however, lost the title to a twice-to-beat UST last year before NU completed a title redemption tour in Season 86, its second title in three years.
“There’s still a lot I need to fix with the team. If they can eventually bring out what I’m expecting from them, and if we can match NU’s level, then we definitely have a good chance,” de Jesus added.
This time, though, De Jesus has a more experienced core of Canino, Shevana Laput, Alleiah Malaluan, Amie Provido, and Lilay Del Castillo to lean on supported by its rookie setter in Mikole Reyes, the younger sister of former Lady Spiker turned PVL star Mika.
READ: UAAP: With foundation set, La Salle looks to take things all the way
“I’m really happy with the team, especially our setter is just a rookie, and yet she managed to lead us to where we are now. Even if things weren’t always steady, she still brought us to the championship,” said De Jesus.
La Salle will be banking on its net defense, which was its main strength in the playoff and Final Four against UP, nailing a total of 31 kill blocks in two games.
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“Blocking is one of our strengths. So when that doesn’t work, we really tend to struggle a bit. Our team has the height, so we need to really maximize that. Blocking is one of those non-scoring skills that can actually win you points, especially against strong teams. You don’t always need to rely on attacking,” said De Jesus.
“If your opponent is powerful, a good block can turn the tide and Earn you points. So we have to keep focusing on that, not just attacking for the sake of scoring. That’s one of our team’s biggest strengths.”
