“IT’S EITHER we live to fight for another day or we lose another.”
Those were the words of head coach Roger Gorayeb to the Ateneo Women’s Volleyball Team before the much-awaited Game 2 of the UAAP Season 75 Volleyball Finals last March 6 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Unfortunately, the championship dream for the Ateneo Lady Spikers, fondly called the Lady Eagles, was cut short in a 3-0 set run, 25-23, 25-20, 25-16,as the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers won their coveted three-peat win.
Early in the first set, the defending champions started strong andledearly,5-1. Later on, an exchange of hard-hitting spikes, powerful blocks, and continuous errors from both teams tied the score thriceat 6-6, 13-13 and 14-14.
After the last tie, La Salle, led by key players Michelle Gumabao, Mika Reyes, Ara Galang and Abigail Maraño,played aggressive offense that overtook Ateneo with a six-point advantage, 24-18.
Despite the green rivals being at set point, Alyssa Valdez landed consecutive plays, cutting the Archers’ lead to one, 24-23. In the heat of the race to the match point, Ateneo lost in a faulty reception that gave La Salle set one, 25-23.
During the second set, Valdez together with veterans Angeline Gervacio and Fille Caingletfought to build their lead until Reyes blocked Valdez’s attack, tying the game at 17-all. Shortly after, the young Lady Spiker again displayed her defensive prowess by snatching the lead from the Lady Eagles, 18-17, with another block. Reyes’ stared fiercely to the players in blue as if to say Ateneo was not going to win that match.
The change in the game rattled Ateneo, thus causing them to commitrepetitive errors while La Salle continued to finish strong plays. When the Archersreached set point, 24-22, Reyes ended the long rally with a service ace thatsealed set two for DLSU, 25-22.
Coming into the third set, the battle was intense. Ateneo and La Salle exchanged leads throughout,tying the game four times. After the 14-14 mark, Ateneo failed to receive Maraño’s serve, giving La Salle a one-point lead that led to the Lady Spikers’ crucial scoring spree. Radiating with confidence, La Salle eventually clinched the three-peat, 25-16. This is La Salle’s eighth championship in the UAAP Women’s Volleyball Tournament.
Regardless of the heartbreaking turn-out, Ateneo held their head high during the awarding ceremony with their 1st runner-up feat.
Valdez was named Best Scorer and Ferrer claimed her third Best Setter title for the season’s tournament.
Season 75 was also the final year for Ateneo’s “Fab Five” composed of veterans Jem Ferrer, Gretchen Ho, Dzi Gervacio, Fille Cainglet and Aillysse Nacachi.
