Their bid of going undefeated in the 73rd UAAP was foiled by a board decision that led to the forfeit of one of the team’s victories in the elimination round.

The UAAP board decided to nullify the Lady Archers' win against University of the East after finding out that two La Salle players had seen action in a commercial league.

Despite that boardroom setback, La Salle coach Ramil De Jesus instructed his wards to stay focused. "I told my players to use the loss as a motivation, and not to think of the loss. Our aim is to sweep all our 17 games."

The Lady Archers were unstoppable in the second round en route to a season-best 13-1 mark. They arranged a semis date with chief rival Ateneo where they enjoyed a twice-to-beat edge.

After dispatching Ateneo in a hard-earned five-set win, 26-24, 21-25, 25-17, 26-28, 15-10, La Salle faced University of Santo Tomas in a rematch of last year's finals.

The Lady Archers played its third straight five-set match in Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series, escaping with a 25-18, 25-20, 19-25, 16-25, 15-10 victory. They completed the title sweep in Game 2, 25-18, 25-17, 28-26.

La Salle showed that it had a formidable team this season that deserved no less than the title. The Lady Archers had the superb duo of Jacqueline Alarca and Stephanie Mercado on offense, while Michelle Gumabao and Abigail Marano shone consistently on defense.

Alarca won the Season Most Valuable Player, Best Blocker and Best Server awards, while Gumabao bagged the Best Blocker award.

The Lady Archers beefed up their preparation for this season by undergoing training in Japan.

But De Jesus thinks that it was the presence of an outstanding setter that really helped the Lady Archers win the Season 73 title.

He took special note of the efforts of setter Maria Mikaela Esperanza, one of his unheralded players, who wound up being named Rookie of the Year.

"That was my problem last season, I didn't have a setter. But when Mika Esperenza came in, she really helped us and she made the difference for us," said De Jesus.

"Even though sometimes her game goes back to her high school ways, she really works hard and perseveres," De Jesus added.

La Salle will take a much-needed break and will not compete in the coming Shakey's V-League season, as the players will have to concentrate on their academic obligations.

– Reuben Terrado, JVP, GMA News