La Salle’s Shevana Laput (7) leads the way in another Lady Spikers’ victory over rivals Ateneo Blue Eagles in UAAP women’s volleyball.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Eager to defend their school pride against their archrivals, Shevana Laput unleashed a career-high 25 points and conspired with captain Angel Canino in La Salle’s 25-15, 25-14, 20-25, 25-19 win over Ateneo in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Laput reset her career-high, drilling 19 kills, three aces, and three blocks to give La Salle its 15th straight win in its head-to-head with Ateneo dating back to Season 79 Finals Game 1 in 2017.
“Personally, last season, especially in Round 2, I feel like I had already started that role of being one of the go-to guys, being someone that my team trusts and relies on,” said Laput, whose team notched its third consecutive victory this season.
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Angel Canino and Shevana Laput on rising to the occasion in the Ateneo-La Salle rivalry. #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/nr0kZkJ8PS
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) March 12, 2025
“I feel like currently, coming to the end of Round 1, I feel like I’ve finally got my groove, and I finally connected to the rest of my teammates, and I feel like I’ve been really stepping up into that role of being an ate, and being someone who can be trusted on the court.”
Embracing a bigger role for the Lady Spikers, the Filipino-Aussie opposite spiker was determined to deliver in their rivalry game.
“When we play against Ateneo, it’s more than just playing their team; it’s playing against their school, and it’s representing our school and the whole La Sallian community. For sure, there’s an added bit of pressure and added bit of pride that we need to show on the court,” she said.
Canino sustained her fine form with 17 points including a game-high four blocks on top of eight digs, while Alleiah Malaluan added 12 points to improve their record to 4-2, tied with Far Eastern University — their final opponent in the first round on Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Lady Spikers’ captain put a premium on school pride to urge her teammates to rise to the occasion in their storied rivalry with the Blue Eagles.
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“We’ve been talking about pride while playing. Of course, they call it a rivalry for a reason, so we still want to prove that even though we have a lot of new players and we’re a young team, we still have pride to show as a team. This game is super important for us, not just for the win but also to gain confidence,” said Canino in Filipino.
“Every game is about carrying that pride as a Lady Spiker because of Coach Ramil’s legacy and the history of the Lady Spikers. The difference with Ateneo is that we really feel the rivalry, so we need to have even more pride and heart. We need to show that we can still stand strong and uphold what Coach Ramil and the team have achieved over the years.
Setter Mikole Reyes dished out 20 excellent sets on top of three points, while libero Lyka De Leon had 10 digs and 10 excellent receptions.
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Ateneo, which missed Sobe Buena due to a Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) injury she sustained last game, fell to a 1-5 record in a season where it also lost JLo Delos Santos and Zel Tsunashima.
Lyann De Guzman led the Blue Eagles with 16 points and nine digs. AC Miner had 13 points as they hope to end the round with a win against the winless University of the East also on Saturday.
