In line with the return of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Women’s Volleyball Tournament, this weekly series will analyze the state of the Ateneo Blue Eagles as they start to defend their crown for Season 84.
FOLLOWING THEIR UAAP Season 84 debut, the Blue Eagles have yet to find their rhythm on the court, recording two back-to-back losses in the elimination round.
Despite an explosive first set, the Blue Eagles succumbed to the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers, 1-3, last May 5. In a similar fashion, the Blue Eagles were overpowered by the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, losing 1-3 on May 7 as Faith Nisperos’ efforts were unable to hold out for the team.
1. Sailing without a bow and anchor
Photo courtesy of Stella Arenas
Gap: After two long years of waiting, a brand new squad of Blue Eagles steps up for the uphill battle that is Season 84. Among the starting stringers, Lyann de Guzman and Alexis Miner are rookies while Faith Nisperos and Joan Narit are still considerably new to the game after Season 82’s cancellation. With more than half of the first seven Blue Eagles being new blood, the Blue Eagles are a rookie-laden yet undoubtedly talented squad on the court. Despite this, I’m afraid that they lack a certain level of mental fortitude that is necessary if they want a chance at reaching the Finals.
Against DLSU, the Blue Eagles snatched the first set because of an explosive start but ultimately ended up falling to the Lady Spikers in the next three sets. During their match with NU, it was only until the latter half of set three that the Blue Eagles regained their composure—which was too late for their cause. Even watching through a screen, it is quite apparent that the “Heartstrong” spirit that the Blue Eagles usually possess was missing in both their matches.
This is not at all to underscore the pool of talent that the Blue Eagles have on deck, as Ateneo has a lot to show on the offensive end alone. Faith Nisperos has consistently shown her prowess with an attacking percentage of 30.65% and 33.33% against DLSU and NU, respectively. Rookie Lyann de Guzman was also a key contributor for Ateneo during their game against the Lady Spikers, offering her own 11 points with a 25.58% attacking efficiency.
However, what the statistics do not reveal is how the Blue Eagles respond to unfavorable circumstances. Especially in a sport as emphatic and momentum-driven as volleyball, the Blue Eagles need to find a way of responding to difficult situations when their backs are against the wall. In times when DLSU’s floor defense prevailed or NU’s blockers stood their ground, the Blue Eagles were evidently frazzled, rendering them unable to make the necessary adjustments. Their opponents were quick to pick up on this, well aware that even the slightest crack in Ateneo’s confidence was more than enough leverage for the opposing side to win the game.
Ateneo may have lost the first two games, but it is not too late for them to learn from their mistakes and face their next set of opponents head on.
2. Circumventing a shaky defense
Photo courtesy of Stella Arenas
Kristen: Manifesting the absence of the familiar heartstrong spirit, the Blue Eagles were left unable to recover from deficits—if not failing to sustain momentum—in both their games against DLSU and NU. This shortfall in the right mentality translated to frail showings rather than resilient performances that could have kept them alive and forced a fifth set against their opponents.
The Blue Eagles can attribute their consecutive losses to their error-plagued defense on the floor, which subsequently gave away easy points to the Lady Archers and Lady Bulldogs. Reception was faulty as they averaged only 23.81% and 34.62% in both games, respectively. Meanwhile, their opponents also scored higher in terms of the total number of excellent digs with DLSU standing at 46.58% and NU at 43.80%.
Consequently, Ateneo’s inability to keep the ball alive from the get-go as it reached their court immediately closed possibilities for combination plays that would have breached the DLSU and NU defenses. In their opening games against NU and DLSU, Ateneo’s excellent sets were kept to a minimal 12.15% and 8.23% efficiency, respectively. While Ateneo’s opponents were not far ahead from these numbers, they were more successful in converting their own sets into attack points amid their own mounting errors, docking 29.95% attacking efficiency for DLSU and 37.20% for NU. Conclusively, instances where the ball was over-received inhibited strategic ball distribution for Jaja Maraguinot.
These experiences only further highlight how a solid defense is crucial to allow the Blue Eagles execution of a good offense. Such domino effects should not be overlooked if Ateneo wants an early end to their losing streak.
3. Adjust the offense, disrupt the defense
Photo courtesy of Stella Arenas
Lei: Aside from struggling in floor defense, the Blue Eagles are also failing to convert points from their offensive plays, which could be due to the lack of first ball distribution among the other positions. To keep their hopes alive in their title-retention bid, they must be able to find rhythm in their offense by looking for more sources of scoring in addition to the outside hitters.
In their season opener against the Lady Spikers, Ateneo secured the first set because they were able to respond to their archrivals’ plays through their trifecta of outside hitters in Nisperos, Gandler, and De Guzman. With heights of 5’11”, 5’10”, and 5’10”, respectively, the trio definitely had the height advantage over DLSU’s Jolina Dela Cruz and Baby Jane Soreño, who are 5’9” and 5’3, respectively. However, en route to obtaining a commanding 2-0 set lead after taking a 21-18 edge in the second set, Ateneo’s tall outside hitters started to fizzle out when it mattered the most.
It is easy to suggest that the three spikers should be more consistent, but we need to go deeper into the Blue Eagles’ dilemma. The team relies too heavily on the trio of spikers, especially in UAAP high school standout Nisperos. In the game against DLSU, Nisperos and De Guzman combined for 105 spikes out of the team’s 184 attempts. Meanwhile, Nisperos and Gandler received 78 spikes out of the team’s 136 attempts in the game versus NU. With the majority of received balls and digs going in Nisperos’ and Gandler’s direction for isolation plays, the opposition is able to anticipate the direction of the ball and adjust their defense accordingly.
In order to disrupt the opposition’s defense, setter Maraguinot and libero Team Captain Dani Ravena must be more creative in their options for attack points. It would be best to put more trust in their middle blockers Alexis Miner, Joan Narit, and Pia Ildefonso, who actually need more opportunities to show off their potential. The trio of middle blockers put their talents on display versus the Lady Bulldogs where they combined for a total of 16 points after a disappointing one-point output from De Guzman in the same match. While blockers are busy guarding Nisperos’ moves, Miner, Narit, and Ildefonso can step up in the middle for quick hits or transition plays.
As a relatively young team, Ateneo must not hesitate to give their newer players more opportunities to attack at the frontcourt. Being the defending champions means they have to trust their program under Coach Oliver Almadro and share the heavy responsibility of the system among all the players.
