In the middle of the third set, Aillysse Nacachi, Gretchen Ho, Fille Cainglet and the other veterans shared a good laugh, as they enjoyed a four-point leverage, 21-17, over the NU Lady Bulldogs on December 11, at the FilOil Flying V Arena.
All throughout the ordeal, the Lady Bulldogs were playing Ateneo’s game, as Ateneo’s 2-0 cushion heavily pressed against their shoulders. After all was said and done, Lady Bulldogs team captain Kai Nepomuceno pensively looked at the scoreboard that read three sets to none.
Erratic play and lapses in communication typified NU’s dismal showing while the Lady Spikers continued to impress with solid team play, reeling from their first loss against last year’s champions the De La Salle University Lady Spikers. From start to finish, the ladies in blue handed NU a callous straight set, 3-0, whipping.
The Lady Spikers scored a total of only 43 points out of the 75 they scored, owing 32 from NU’s errors.
The trio of Angeline Gervacio, Alyssa Valdez and Cainglet proved to be too blistering for NU’s slew of tall defenders, as the trio combined for 31 points.
The overall lackadaisical play shown by NU allowed Ella de Jesus and Bea Tan quality minutes in the third and first sets respectively. Ateneo de Davao standout and 6’0” rookie Mae Tajima also logged some time, her first few minutes as a Lady Spiker, as a blocker by the second set.
Gervacio led the team with 12 points, followed by Valdez with 11 and Cainglet with a quiet eight points. Nepomuceno paced NU with 10 points as the only Lady Bulldog to score in double digits.
The Lady Spikers next face UP on December 18, 3:30 at the FilOil Flying V Arena.
SET SCORES: 25-13, 25-18, 25-16
