DETERMINED. The Lady Beach Spikers are ready to avenge last year's loss to UST in the finals. Photo by Alexandra L. Huang

Editor’s Note: Almost halfway through the season, The Lady Beach Spikers had a 2-4 win-loss record after their matchup against the FEU Lady Tamaraws last September 2 was declared a loss via default by UAAP officials. This article was written before those developments. Head on to sports.theguidon.com for the latest updates on the Lady Beach Spikers.

THE LADY Beach Spikers were nothing short of amazing in last year’s UAAP beach volleyball tournament.  The duo of Bea Tan and Alyssa Valdez led Ateneo to its first finals appearance since 2007. With an impressive 6-1 record in the elimination round, they ended a four-year drought for Ateneo beach volleyball.

The Lady Beach Spikers faced the crowd favorite, University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tigresses led by Most Valuable Player Judy Ann Caballejo, in last year’s finals. The best of three series showcased the best against the best as the top two teams of the regular season battled it out for the title. Ateneo was able to force a third and deciding game in the series, but lost to UST’s experience and firepower.

Though they fell short in the best-of-three finals match against the UST Tigresses, the Lady Beach Spikers look to bounce back and avenge last year’s loss with a title.

An intact core

The one-two punch combo of Tan and Valdez, plus crowd favorite Fille Cainglet playing off the bench, proved to be a winning formula for the team last year. This season, the players remain the same and in full force. The crowd will once again see Tan orchestrate the blue offense while either Cainglet or Valdez will soar high for those emphatic spikes.

Based on last year’s stellar run, the right mix of players had worked to the team’s advantage. As Valdez said, “It is important [that] we know each other in and out of the court.”

The only noticeable change this year will be the additional minutes that Cainglet will receive, as Valdez will be playing as the reserve this season. However, chemistry woes would not be an issue because, as stated by Tan, “Fille, Alyssa and I have been training and playing together in indoor and also in beach, so whatever chemistry I have with Alyssa or Alyssa has with me, it’s not any different with what we have with Fille.”

This dynamic will definitely provide a deeper range of the team’s offensive and defensive capabilities.

Factors of experience

With the dominant performance of Tan and Valdez in Season 74, one would find it hard to believe that the ladies only had minimal experience in the beach terrain. “It was our first time to play UAAP beach volley and we placed second,” shared a pleased Valdez. “With only six months of beach volleyball training, compared to the exposure of other teams, things are looking good for the next season,” said Tan after the painful loss to UST last year.

This year, the team has been preparing by participating in local and international tournaments, such as the International Federation of Volleyball invitational beach tournament. They were among 10 teams from nine different countries. Four teams came from Asia, four from Europe and one from the United States.

“The competition here is nothing compared to any competitions we’ve joined and it’s a really good experience for the team. We learn from these players through observing their techniques and try to apply them in ours too,” Tan explained.

In addition to the team’s résumé, all three players were also part of the lineup of the recently concluded Shakey’s V-League, where the three ladies played vital roles. Tan was the team’s libero, Cainglet led with her experience and athleticism and Valdez simply took over in the championships and was later crowned the finals’ Most Valuable Player.

As the awards and wins pile up, so do the experience and mental toughness of the team. The Lady Beach Spikers are simply getting better and better.

Teams to look out for

As impressive as the Lady Beach Spikers may have been last year, their season was tested by the performance of other talented teams. The most striking opponent would be the UST Tigresses. As Valdez shared, “Sobrang nanghinayang talaga kami ni Bea last year sa binigay na opportunity sa’min. Hopefully this year, makuha namin (Bea and I really felt that we let that opportunity slip away. Hopefully this year, we will be able to get it).”

Other than being the defending champion, UST was also the only team that handed defeat to the Lady Spikers in the elimination round. De La Salle University and Adamson are also two teams that look to compete with the same intensity as Ateneo. These two schools were in the final four last year and grabbed the league’s attention as title contenders.

La Salle will also look to make some noise as the Lady Archers are last year’s UAAP volleyball champions. The ladies from Taft will carry over momentum from their previous victories to the sand pit as Camille Cruz, Season 74’s Rookie of the Year, leads them in the competition.

It took the Lady Beach Spikers three sets to deliver the loss to the Lady Archers in their matchup in the sand courts last year. That match was highlighted by a 15-2 third set beating from Team Ateneo.

When asked about her thoughts on this team’s expectations with a league filled with contenders, Tan responded by saying that they will simply take it a game and a team at a time. “We’ll make sure we will come out on top of everyone else and make sure that this time we will get that championship trophy we’ve been aiming for,” she said.

All systems go

The Lady Spikers enter Season 75 prepared and ready to go. “When we have free time, we usually have practice games with other teams,” Valdez said in a mix of Filipino and English.

Their championship caliber attracts the attention of the league as one of the teams to beat. However, the team will not let that get in the way of their hunger for a championship. Valdez said, “Yung eagerness to win the championship this year, ‘yun ‘yung magdadala samin sa finals ulit (Our eagerness to win the championship will bring us back to the finals).”

The team is filled with great potential as it is filled with players who have championship experience in numerous tournaments. Valdez is the reigning V-League Finals MVP, Cainglet is the high-flying crowd favorite and Tan is the leader of the Lady Spikers.

“Skills and experience wise, no doubt Fille, Alyssa and I are better than last year,” Tan affirmed.

That being said, the Lady Spikers are surely in for a tight battle into the championships.

POWER OF THREE. Alyssa Valdez will return to the sand courts of UE Caloocan alongside Bea Tan and Fille Cainglet. Photo by Alexandra L. Huang