LOOKING TO take care of business early, the Ateneo Lady Spikers overcame a valiant effort by the Adamson Lady Spikers and cruised to victory, 25-23, 25-23 and 26-24 last Saturday, February 23, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to propel them back to the finals against archrival De La Salle University.

The first set featured multiple deadlocks and a fervent Adamson squad that sought to undo Ateneo’s twice-to-beat advantage. Adamson was in position to steal the first set with a 15-10 lead, but Angeline Gervacio and Alyssa Valdez rallied back to keep things a back and forth affair.

Meanwhile, Amy Ahomiro and team veteran Ailysse Nacachi played well-rounded games as the two provided a spark to the offense and contributed blocks as the action on court boiled down to 23-all. In the end, team defense was able to help the Lady Eagles pull away with a 25-23 win.

Despite losing the first set, Adamson still did not let up. Pau Soriano and Mayette Zapanta played strong offense for Adamson, bombarding the Ateneo defense with a variety of cross-court and down-the-line shots. The set came down to the wire once again, but Fille Cainglet came up big for Ateneo by converting on a cross court attack to give Ateneo the 25-23 advantage.

Still, Adamson fought back in the third set and built a 16-12 advantage. Every time Ateneo trimmed the lead, the Lady Falcons responded and extended their lead to 23-19. Valdez showed everyone why she is the best scorer in the league as she led the Lady Eagles to a 7-1 run to edge out the Lady Falcons, 26-24.

Ateneo seeks redemption against the number one team in the league and defending champions the De La Salle Lady Spikers. This year’s finals would be a rematch of the bitter Season 74 finals where the Blue and White fell short of the title.

Game 1 of the finals will be on Saturday, March 2, 4:00 PM at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.