AMIDST A crowd dominated by Philippine Air Force fans, the undefeated Ateneo Lady Spikers set out to win their third straight game in the second edition of the Shakey’s V-League at The Arena in San Juan on Sunday, August 7.

Coming off two straight victories against the Maynilad Water Dragons and the University of Perpetual Help Lady Altas, wherein they won both games in straight sets, expectations were high for the Lady Spikers.

Alyssa Valdez, elated Ateneo fans, with a kill for the first point of the game. The Air Force, however, quickly retaliated with strong spikes of their own, staying close the Lady Spikers throughout the first set. Eventually though, the Philippine Air Force edged out the Ateneo side, 25-21.

In the second set, Air Force’s Cherry Rose Macatangay and Aiza Maizo displayed aggressive offense that was too strong for the Lady Spikers to counter, paving the way for a 26-24 advantage.

Up two sets, Macatangay’s kill opened the third set looking to bag the win, but Ateneo would not bow down without a fight, finally stepping up mid-game. The Lady Spikers had their biggest lead at 20-14 and would later hold on to win the set 25-20, with Fille Cainglet scoring on set point.

Despite the Air Force’s excellent defense, Cainglet and Valdez consistently scored past the Air Force’s towering blockers. Maizo, however, eventually tied the game at 18—this proved to be the game-changer, as the Air Force stepped up their offense afterwards.

A dispute with the referee over Valdez’s line shot fazed the Lady Spikers. As the intensity rose, former MVP’s Macatangay and Maizo, capitalized on the situation to take the fourth and game winning set, 31-29.

Unnerved by the referees’ bad calls, lack of focus may have been the cause for the Lady Spikers’ defeat. Nevertheless, team Captain Cainglet thought that the team played well stating that their defense and offense was up to par. “For the next game, we need to improve our serve-receive because that’s where we create our plays from,” she said.

The Lady Spikers are now tied at second place, 2-1, with the San Sebastian Lady Stags, who they will face on Tuesday, August 9, 4:00 PM at The Arena at San Juan.

Set Scores: 25-21, 26-24, 20-25, 31-29