MANILA, Philippines – It's the question that will be on everyone's minds in the Season 79 tournament: Can De La Salle University score a back-to-back?

Season 78 record: 11-3

Season 78 summary: The De La Salle Lady Spikers made their triumphant return to the top of the UAAP in Season 78, thanks to a combination of excellent defense, the tremendous setting of veteran playmaker Kim Fajardo, and the breakout campaigns of Kianna Dy and Majoy Baron.

Losses to National University and University of Santo Tomas in the first round gave the impression that La Salle may be vulnerable in Season 78, despite a three-set shellacking of arch-rival Ateneo de Manila University. It did not help that they ended the elimination round with a five-set loss to the Lady Eagles, and that they were stunned by Far Eastern University (FEU) in five sets in their first game of the Final Four.

La Salle advanced to their eighth straight Finals appearance by beating FEU in a do-or-die game, then crushed Ateneo in straight sets in Game 1 of the Finals. But they squandered a two-set advantage in Game 2 to find themselves pushed to yet another winner-takes-all contest.

The Lady Spikers would not be denied, however. Veterans Ara Galang, Mika Reyes, and Cyd Demecillo – all playing in their final seasons – came up huge in Game 3, while Kianna Dy capped her breakthrough season by coming up with clutch hits – including the championship winner.

The title was La Salle's ninth overall in the women's tournament.

• LOOK: UAAP 79 volleyball schedule

Key losses: Ara Galang, Mika Reyes, Cyd Demecillo

Key returnees: Dawn Macandili, Kianna Dy, Kim Fajardo, Majoy Baron, Desiree Cheng

Projection:La Salle's title-retention bid got a huge boost last December, when two-time Best Setter Kim Fajardo announced that she will return to play in her final season of eligibility. Fajardo, who aside from her playmaking also proved to be an able scorer in Season 78, turned La Salle from a Final Four contender into a favorite again.

The Lady Spikers will still have Baron, the reigning Best Blocker, and Dy, last season's Finals MVP. This time around, however, they will be the counted upon to be leaders, whereas last year they clearly followed the lead of Galang and Reyes.

Perhaps the key to La Salle's title-retention bid is their libero, Macandili, who established herself as the best floor defender in the league last season, and only got better in the offseason thanks to stints in the Philippine Superliga. With Macandili ensuring a good first ball and Fajardo orchestrating the offense, the Lady Spikers should be able to at least match the potency of last season's squad.

What needs to be seen, however, is if this year's Lady Spikers can match the poise displayed by last season's team. Fajardo is the only "super senior" in the line-up, and players like Baron, Dy, and even Macandili are finding themselves in leadership roles for the first time.

Moreover, after losing veterans in Galang, Reyes and Demecillo, La Salle will heavily feature young players this year. Players like May Luna and Tin Tiamzon, used sparingly in Season 78, will be asked to contribute more and more. Des Cheng's return is welcome, and it is likely that she will be asked to contribute immediately as well.

Despite their relatively youth this season, the expectations are the same as always in Taft – nothing short of a second consecutive title will do.

What they said: "Sa team ko ngayon, youngsters sila lahat. Ako nga lang ang pinaka-matanda pero sa loob ng court naman, makikita mo naman na hindi naman sila nagpapa-iwan. Kung ano yung naiwan na laban last year, yun pa rin ang pinaglalabanan nila ngayon. Kumbaga may hugot. Champion last year, so ngayon, laban pa rin ang lahat." – Kim Fajardo

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