La Salle conditioned to win 5-set games

La Salle seems to have no problem in winning five-set matches. The Lady Archers won two consecutive matches that went the distance, even though they have practically breezed through the elimination round of the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament. "This will be good for us because they are used to short matches," La Salle coach Ramil De Jesus said. La Salle defeated University of Santo Tomas in an expected neck-and-neck match-up, 25-20, 25-27, 18-25, 25-22, 15-12, in the last day of the elimination round, then went through an unexpected tough challenge from Ateneo, 26-24, 21-25, 25-17, 26-28, 15-10, last Saturday in their semifinal game. The Lady Archers will once again face the Tigresses at the start of their best-of-three series on Wednesday at The Arena in San Juan City. UST and La Salle took turns in winning the title in the last two seasons, with the Tigresses hoping to defend their 2009 crown, while the Lady Archers aim to regain the title they last won in 2008. De Jesus is confident that his team is capable of eking out wins in down-the-wire matches, despite having practically breezed through the elimination round. "It was evident in the last two games that we are well-conditioned. They are hitting well just the same as in the early parts of the game," De Jesus said. De Jesus said that the Lady Archers have an advantage with their deeper bench. "UST finds its offense in their starting six, but I feel that our bench is deeper, and they can also contribute aside from our starters," said De Jesus. Against Ateneo in the semifinals, De Jesus said that La Salle struggled in its blocking, which used to be their staple this season. "We were disorganized in our blocking. If we play like that, any team can beat us," De Jesus said. – JVP, GMA News