By ADRIAN STEWART CO

De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers showed their readiness for the upcoming collegiate season with a 25-15, 25-20, 29-31, 25-21 beating of F2 Logistics Cargo Movers at the University of St. La Salle Gym (USLS) in Bacolod City on Sunday, December 11.

Negrenses Angel Canino and Matet Espina and Ilongga Amie Provido were at the forefront of the offense for the Lady Spikers, which aimed to recover from a runner-up finish in the UAAP Season 84 tournament early this year.

The Lady Spikers were scorching to start the game as they surged to an early advantage over the Cargo Movers before padding it to double-digits to easily take a 1-0 set lead in the contest.

The Lady Spikers were once again ferocious in the second set behind Canino, Mereophe Sharma and Julia Coronel, but the Cargo Movers showed some fight before eventually surrendering the set to DLSU.

DLSU looked determined to finish off the F2 Logistics in the third frame, but the Cargo Movers drew strength from its veteran players, especially in the latter part of the set, to stay alive.

However, the Lady Spikers went for the kill in the fourth frame as they once again jumped to an early advantage before holding off the attempted response of the Cargo Movers in the endgame.

They were the third UAAP-based volleyball team to have played in Bacolod City this year, after the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles and University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses.

The Blue Eagles are set to return to the USLS Gym for the third time on December 19, as they battle Far Eastern University Tamaraws in another exhibition match.

On the other hand, the Cargo Movers was the second Premier Volleyball League team to be invited this year to Bacolod City, after Akari Power Chargers, which previously defeated Ateneo.

In the preliminary game, the Abanse Negrense squad, composed of some former UAAP and NCAA players, prevailed over the USLS-Bacolod Lady Stingers by winning two out of the three sets played./ASC, WDJ