Leiah Malaluan ramping up game form after UAAP Season 85 debut

MANILA, Philippines – La Salle Lady Spiker Alleiah Malaluan took a big step in her road to recovery after making her UAAP Season 85 debut on Saturday, March 11.

The outside hitter had been hampered by a minor knee injury that kept her out of La Salle’s first four games, which the team was able to withstand with a 4-0 start.

During her debut, La Salle claimed its fifth straight win, 25-16, 25-18, 25-21, against the FEU Lady Tamaraws.

“I actually had plans to field [Malaluan] in against UE, but we decided to do it slowly,” explained DLSU interim coach Noel Orcullo in Filipino.

“I told her [on Friday] to be ready, but we never rushed her until she regained her confidence,” he added.

Malaluan was one of La Salle’s best players in Season 84, ending up as one of the league’s top five scorers during the elimination round. She was ninth in spiking and the sixth-best server.

During her first game back, Malaluan sealed the fate of the second set in favor of La Salle, launching an attack that went off the FEU block attempt.

That was her only point of the game, and it served as a way to increase the team’s confidence heading toward the final two games of the first round.

“We also see it as a way to improve on our mistakes since we cannot consider our run as perfect,” explained Malaluan in Filipino.

“I am still adjusting inside the court since I’m still relatively new, but I had already trained, and I need to adjust more to adapt to the play inside,” she continued.

La Salle, sporting a league-best 5-0 record, will face Adamson and defending champions NU to close out the first elimination round. – Rappler.com