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| source: https://www.facebook.com/goarchers |
But after auspicious stints in the PNG (where they narrowly lost to a team composed of former UAAP players from different teams) and the UniGames (when they handily defeated an NU side that is considered as another contender), the Lady Spikers have proven that they are still a force to be reckoned with.
Despite the loss of Maraño, the team will still parade the core of a line-up that made the finals last season, led by Galang, Reyes, and Fajardo, who are all part of the Philippine National team, which is being coached by De Jesus. Players like libero Cienne Cruz, Cyd Demecillo, and Camille Cruz will be back for the Lady Spikers, both of them integral parts in their run to a sweep of the elimination round and finals stint. Rookies Desiree Cheng, libero Dawn Macandili, Kim Dy, and Mary Joy Baron will all have a year of experience under their belts, which bodes well for their confidence as well as the team’s overall chemistry.
But with almost every team retooling during the off-season, games will not be easily won and opponents cannot be overlooked. The possible loss of Mika Esperanza due to an injury leaves Fajardo as the only setter of the team. Reyes, Demecillo, Cheng, and the rookies will all have to increase their scoring output to blunt the impact of Maraño’s absence. Galang has already been named team captain by De Jesus, and while she may not be as fiery as her predecessor, it will be up to her to rally her teammates when they experience a dearth in scoring or a deficit they need to overcome.
Whether or not the Lady Spikers can topple the Lady Eagles remains to be seen, but the immediate goal would be to pile up as many wins to secure one of the top two seeds in the standings and nab a twice-to-beat advantage. If last season proved anything, it’s that nothing is set in stone.
After being dethroned by the ADMU Lady Eagles in the finals last season, the Lady Spikers enter this season as challengers for the first time since UAAP Season 73, fighting to reclaim the championship.
In the coming season, the Lady Spikers will concentrate on further honing their skills inside the court. One of which is their service that, according to head coach Ramil de Jesus, is one of the factors which had contributed to their unsuccessful run in the previous season. Aside from that, they are also focusing on the possible attacks that could be used by the individual players in the coming games.
Similar to the Green Spikers’ approach this year, the Lady Spikers plan to take on the competition in a step-by-step manner. “Hindi kaagad na nasa taas. Dumaan ka muna sa baba,” de Jesus says. The road to finals will not be an easy one as the Lady Spikers have acknowledged that several teams are stronger and more competitive than last year with their new line-ups and recruits. De Jesus says, “Kung maka-isa ka [sa kalaban mo], sa susunod kailangan maka-isa ka uli. Hindi pupwedeng dahil tinalo mo ito, confident ka na hindi na [sila] mananalo sayo.”
With the graduation of last year’s team captain Abigail Maraño, incoming fourth year player Ara Galang was appointed to take her place as the leader of the team. De Jesus shared that his decision to make Galang the new captain is not only because of the skills that she has on the court, but also because of the attitude that she possesses which could help boost the morale of her teammates. Mika Esperanza was originally supposed to replace Maraño as team captain, but the veteran setter was injured during the Philippine SuperLiga (PSL) and may be out for the entire season.
 |
| Mika Reyes |
 |
| left: Kim Fajardo; right Cyd Demecillo |
De La Salle University paid a steep
price to set a fourth consecutive championship date with archrival
Ateneo de Manila University, losing top hitter Ara Galang at the close
of the Lady Spikers’ 26-24, 21-25, 25-18, 25-21 do-or-die 77th UAAP
women’s volleyball step-ladder semifinals win over National University
Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
 |
 |
| Captain Ara Galang |
Galang was stretchered off the court
after scoring the 23rd point of the no. 2 seed Lady Spikers in the
fourth set in what seemed to be a twisted left knee on the replay.
The spitfire hitter landed awkwardly on
her left foot after an off the block kill over Rizza Mandapat on the
left corner. Her knee buckled and she fell on the floor grimacing in
pain as medics rushed to her aid.
The
Lady Spikers' leading scorer and acknowledged leader was in tears when she was
put on the ambulance that brought her to the hospital. The extent of the injury
should have a big say on the Lady Archers' bid to regain the title from rival
Ateneo, which will enjoy a thrice-to-beat advantage in the finals after a sweep
of the two-round eliminations.
 |
| source:rivals.pn |
La Salle coach Ramil de Jesus said during the post-game interview he has no idea yet of Galang’s situation. “’Sa ngayon di ko
pa alam ang kondisyon niya after the incident. Mamaya ko pa siguro makikita,”
said the 18-year Lady Spikers mentor.“Hindi ko inisip na ganun ‘yung pain na mararanasan niya,” said de Jesus.
“Umaasa nga ako na makakabalik pa siya pero hindi na pala.” The hashtag #PrayForAraGalang
immediately became a trending topic on Twitter minutes after the incident.-RIVALS 2015
The
Lady Spikers' leading scorer and acknowledged leader was in tears when she was
put on the ambulance that brought her to the hospital. The extent of the injury
should have a big say on the Lady Archers' bid to regain the title from rival
Ateneo, which will enjoy a thrice-to-beat advantage in the finals after a sweep
of the two-round eliminations.
Meanwhile, Galang’s mother rushed to the
dugout but MOA Arena guards stopped her from getting in. The elder Galang was
seen crying and begging to see her daughter, to no avail. Former Adamson player
and Galang’s friend Bhebs Pineda also pleaded with the security to let them in.
“Hindi ko inisip na ganun ‘yung pain na mararanasan niya,” said de Jesus.
“Umaasa nga ako na makakabalik pa siya pero hindi na pala.” The hashtag #PrayForAraGalang
immediately became a trending topic on Twitter minutes after the incident.
http://sports.abs-cbn.com.
http://sports.abs-cbn.com.
 |
| photo's by goarchers.com https://www.facebook.com/goarchers |
As the Captain says “Season is not yet done. I won’t be able to play
for the finals with my team but will surely be with them spiritually,” posted
Galang on her Instagram account @vsgalang Sunday night.
Galang suffered a season-ending left knee injury
last Saturday at the close of La Salle’s four-set win over the National
University Lady Bulldogs in the do-or-die match for the last Finals slot.
After spiking the 23rd point of the Lady Spikers
in the fourth set, Galang twisted her knee as she landed on one leg. She was
stretchered off court, crying and pain and was brought to the Makati Medical
Center.
The worst fears were confirmed a few hours after
as MRI results revealed that the Taft-based squad’s leading scorer suffered an
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear, a big bone bruise, a Medial
Collateral Ligament (MCL) tear, and medial meniscus tear.
It was a shock not only for La Salle, who is
looking to regain the title they lost last year, but for the whole volleyball
community who are anticipating the Galang-Alyssa Valdez matchup.
Though facing a daunting task of overhauling a
thrice-to-win disadvantage, Galang’s faith with her team is as strong as ever.
 |
| Ara Galang Instagram Post |
“I still believe in my team! Lord you are
Amazing! I know you’ll be with me and my team,” according to Galang’s IG post
that has a picture of her in color inserted to a black and white photo of the
team huddled together after the finals ticket-clinching win taken by
GoArchers.com photographer Joseph Nebrida.
Galang also thanked supporters for praying for
her fast recovery.
“Thank you so much for all the people who
motivates and encourages me. I can’t show you guys how I appreciate it but I
do. Thank you so much!” Galang wrote.
“I know I can handle this because of you guys.
Thank you everyone for the love and care. I’ so blessed, so blessed. ALL IS
WELL,” she ended on her post.
Also inserted in the moving photo is a line by
head coach Ramil De Jesus: “Sa isang team mahirap maglaro na walang team
captain. Pero kailangan tuloy lang. Kasi hindi naman pwedeng doon na tayo
matatapos.”.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Did the Lady Spiker have the faith to bring back the crown?
DE La Salle star Ara
Galang was carried off in a stretcher late in Saturday’s match against
National University, dampening the joy of the Lady Spikers after a
four-set win and a return to the UAAP women's volleyball finals.
Galang had just scored on a spike to give the Lady Spikers a 23-20 lead
in the fourth set when Galang landed awkwardly and appeared to twisti
her left knee, crumpling into the floor in pain.
La Salle officials could not immediately determine the extent of the
injury as she was immediately brought to the Makati Medical Center.
Galang's left knee, however, was stabilized and heavily wrapped.
When asked by the medic group Ambucare EMS Solutions, Galang said the
pain was '10 on a scale of 10.'
The Lady Spikers' leading scorer and acknowledged leader was in tears
when she was put on the ambulance that brought her to the hospital.
The extent of the injury should have a big say on the Lady Archers' bid
to regain the title from rival Ateneo, which will enjoy a thrice-to-beat
advantage in the finals after a sweep of the two-round eliminations.
Read more at: http://www.spin.ph/volleyball/news/ara-galang-injury-de-la-salle-lady-spikers-uaap-semifinals-womens-volleyball-knee-nu-lady-bulldogs
Follow Us: @spinph on Twitter | spin.philippines on Facebook
Read more at: http://www.spin.ph/volleyball/news/ara-galang-injury-de-la-salle-lady-spikers-uaap-semifinals-womens-volleyball-knee-nu-lady-bulldogs
Follow Us: @spinph on Twitter | spin.philippines on Facebook
DE La Salle star Ara
Galang was carried off in a stretcher late in Saturday’s match against
National University, dampening the joy of the Lady Spikers after a
four-set win and a return to the UAAP women's volleyball finals.
Galang had just scored on a spike to give the Lady Spikers a 23-20 lead
in the fourth set when Galang landed awkwardly and appeared to twisti
her left knee, crumpling into the floor in pain.
La Salle officials could not immediately determine the extent of the
injury as she was immediately brought to the Makati Medical Center.
Galang's left knee, however, was stabilized and heavily wrapped.
When asked by the medic group Ambucare EMS Solutions, Galang said the
pain was '10 on a scale of 10.'
The Lady Spikers' leading scorer and acknowledged leader was in tears
when she was put on the ambulance that brought her to the hospital.
The extent of the injury should have a big say on the Lady Archers' bid
to regain the title from rival Ateneo, which will enjoy a thrice-to-beat
advantage in the finals after a sweep of the two-round eliminations.
Read more at: http://www.spin.ph/volleyball/news/ara-galang-injury-de-la-salle-lady-spikers-uaap-semifinals-womens-volleyball-knee-nu-lady-bulldogs
Follow Us: @spinph on Twitter | spin.philippines on Facebook
Read more at: http://www.spin.ph/volleyball/news/ara-galang-injury-de-la-salle-lady-spikers-uaap-semifinals-womens-volleyball-knee-nu-lady-bulldogs
Follow Us: @spinph on Twitter | spin.philippines on Facebook
DE La Salle star Ara
Galang was carried off in a stretcher late in Saturday’s match against
National University, dampening the joy of the Lady Spikers after a
four-set win and a return to the UAAP women's volleyball finals.
Galang had just scored on a spike to give the Lady Spikers a 23-20 lead
in the fourth set when Galang landed awkwardly and appeared to twisti
her left knee, crumpling into the floor in pain.
La Salle officials could not immediately determine the extent of the
injury as she was immediately brought to the Makati Medical Center.
Galang's left knee, however, was stabilized and heavily wrapped.
When asked by the medic group Ambucare EMS Solutions, Galang said the
pain was '10 on a scale of 10.'
The Lady Spikers' leading scorer and acknowledged leader was in tears
when she was put on the ambulance that brought her to the hospital.
The extent of the injury should have a big say on the Lady Archers' bid
to regain the title from rival Ateneo, which will enjoy a thrice-to-beat
advantage in the finals after a sweep of the two-round eliminations.
Read more at: http://www.spin.ph/volleyball/news/ara-galang-injury-de-la-salle-lady-spikers-uaap-semifinals-womens-volleyball-knee-nu-lady-bulldogs
Follow Us: @spinph on Twitter | spin.philippines on Face
Read more at: http://www.spin.ph/volleyball/news/ara-galang-injury-de-la-salle-lady-spikers-uaap-semifinals-womens-volleyball-knee-nu-lady-bulldogs
Follow Us: @spinph on Twitter | spin.philippines on Face
DE La Salle star Ara
Galang was carried off in a stretcher late in Saturday’s match against
National University, dampening the joy of the Lady Spikers after a
four-set win and a return to the UAAP women's volleyball finals.
Galang had just scored on a spike to give the Lady Spikers a 23-20 lead
in the fourth set when Galang landed awkwardly and appeared to twisti
her left knee, crumpling into the floor in pain.
La Salle officials could not immediately determine the extent of the
injury as she was immediately brought to the Makati Medical Center.
Galang's left knee, however, was stabilized and heavily wrapped.
When asked by the medic group Ambucare EMS Solutions, Galang said the
pain was '10 on a scale of 10.'
The Lady Spikers' leading scorer and acknowledged leader was in tears
when she was put on the ambulance that brought her to the hospital.
The extent of the injury should have a big say on the Lady Archers' bid
to regain the title from rival Ateneo, which will enjoy a thrice-to-beat
advantage in the finals after a sweep of the two-round eliminations.
Read more at: http://www.spin.ph/volleyball/news/ara-galang-injury-de-la-salle-lady-spikers-uaap-semifinals-womens-volleyball-knee-nu-lady-bulldogs
Follow Us: @spinph on Twitter | spin.philippines on Facebook
Read more at: http://www.spin.ph/volleyball/news/ara-galang-injury-de-la-salle-lady-spikers-uaap-semifinals-womens-volleyball-knee-nu-lady-bulldogs
Follow Us: @spinph on Twitter | spin.philippines on Facebook
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