MANILA, Philippines — De La Salle University (DLSU) defeated National University (NU) to win the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball championship in Manila, Philippines, on Saturday, completing a perfect title run at the Mall of Asia Arena before 22,509 spectators.
Amie Provido led DLSU in the decisive victory and said the team drew motivation from its loss to NU in the previous season’s finals. DLSU won its 13th women’s volleyball championship after finishing the season without a loss in the finals series.
Provido, who played middle blocker, scored nine points in the championship-clinching match, including a quick attack and an ace that brought DLSU to championship point in Game 2. She also recorded 12 points in Game 1, including four blocks.
DLSU defeated NU in the finals after losing to the same opponent in the previous season, when NU completed a sweep led by Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon.
Provido said the team focused on internal preparation throughout the season.
“We really wanted to win the championship, and we finally did,” Provido said, referring to the team’s response to its previous finals loss.
She said the team concentrated on performance rather than external pressure.
“We didn’t pay attention to the outside noise,” she said.
DLSU head coach Ramil De Jesus said he recognized the effort of Provido and other players throughout the season. He also cited the experience of Provido and Angel Canino with Alas Pilipinas as a factor in their development.
The victory marked DLSU’s return to the championship after finishing without a title in the previous two seasons.