Del Castillo’s inspired performance leads DLSU to victory over UP
Lilay Del Castillo delivered a standout performance for De La Salle University in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament, dedicating her breakout game to her late mother, Lilian.
The sophomore middle blocker played with extra motivation, tallying four blocks, four aces, and three attacks for a total of 11 points, helping La Salle defeat the University of the Philippines, 25-22, 24-26, 25-18, 25-17, on Sunday—a day that coincided with her mother’s birthday.
“I’m extremely happy with my performance today because when I woke up, I told myself I would dedicate this game to my mom since it’s her 61st birthday,” Del Castillo said in Filipino. “I wanted to make her proud. I know she has the best seat in the arena, so I promised to give my all for her.”
Del Castillo’s mother passed away in 2023, making the victory even more meaningful.
Following La Salle’s tough five-set loss to the University of Santo Tomas last Wednesday, she worked hard in practice and was determined to translate that effort into the game.
“I’m really happy right now, and this game gave me a huge confidence boost,” she said.
With La Salle improving to a 2-2 record, Del Castillo thrived in her role as a starting middle blocker.
However, she isn’t settling for just one strong performance—she’s determined to keep improving and stepping up for her young team.
“I always aim for more. This could be the standard, but for me, I shouldn’t settle for anything less. I need to keep improving, keep going up with every game and training. That’s where I get my confidence,” Del Castillo said. “[I’m] hoping I can translate that into every game to contribute to the team, so that the trust given to me by the older players and coaches to play on the court won’t go to waste.”
La Salle will look to build momentum and start a winning streak when it faces the winless University of the East on Saturday, March 8, at the same venue.
Meanwhile, UP suffered its second consecutive defeat after starting the season with back-to-back wins against UE and Far Eastern University.
The Fighting Maroons will attempt to snap their skid on Wednesday, March 5, when they take on UST.
