THE ATENEO Lady Spikers fell short in their face-off with defending champions De La Salle University (DLSU) last Sunday, January 12, at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena. The match was over after just three sets as DLSU easily swept the Lady Spikers, 16-25, 20-25, 16-25.
A powerful attack by Mika Reyes of DLSU started the match and the first set, but Alyssa Valdez quickly countered with attacks of her own that gave Ateneo an early lead in the game. Errors from both Reyes and Ara Galang gave the Blue and White squad a two-point lead at 5-3, while service aces from Marge Tejada further extended the lead to four.
DLSU was quick to adjust as they hustled on their attacks. Spikes from Reyes and Galang tied the set at 11 apiece. From that point on, DLSU no longer allowed the Lady Spikers to obtain the lead, capitalizing on their blocks and power attacks that gave them a comfortable margin at 14-20.
Attacks from Tejada and Valdez reduced the lead to four, but the defending champions tightened their defense and extended their lead to eight at set point. Valdez was then unable to penetrate the blockers with her quick attack, allowing DLSU to draw first blood, 25-16.
The second set continued to be tough for the Lady Spikers as unforced errors gave their opponent an early lead of four. Given this, the squad adjusted their gameplay and capitalized on power hits from Valdez and Amy Ahomiro.
A spike error from DLSU tied the set at 7, but Cyd Demecillo stepped up for the opponent and produced tricky hits that caught the Lady Spikers off-guard. This, along with attacks from Abigail Maraño, boosted their lead to seven at 16-23. A quick drop from setter Julia Morado and attacks from Valdez and rookie Michelle Morente trimmed the team’s deficit to three, but these were not enough to stop DLSU from taking the second set with a tally of 20-25.
The third and last set started with two consecutive blocks from crowd favorite Mae Tajima. Attacks from both Morado and Ahomiro gave the Lady Spikers an early lead at 5-4, but a service error from Valdez tied the set at 5.
The lead was again obtained by Ateneo after two consecutive attacks from Ahomiro managed to penetrate the opponent’s defenses. The advantage was short lived, however, as Galang, Maraño and Demecillo seized control of the attacks that gave DLSU a lead of eight at 16-24. A power shot from Reyes ultimately secured the set and match for the opposing team with a final set score of 16-25.
The match signified the end of the first round of volleyball action for the Ateneo Lady Spikers, who were still playing without rookie Ana Gopico and Coach Tai Bundit. With the loss, Ateneo now stands at 5-2 while DLSU remains unbeaten in the team standings.
