FOR THE first time in the history of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball tournament, a team was able to dominate the entire season and escape unscathed throughout the run. With a win-loss record of 16-0, the Ateneo Lady Eagles made history by being the only team to win the championship undefeated. They were crowned back-to-back champions after defeating archrivals De La Salle University (DLSU) in a commanding straight-set win, 25-22, 25-17, 25-23, last March 14 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Patrolling the sidelines

Crucial additions to the team were freshmen Bea de Leon, Therese Gaston and Maddie Madayag. De Leon led the charge as one of the more impressive rookies throughout the season. Along with the impressive lineup, the team also managed to dominate the playing field through the man who patrolled their sidelines—Coach Anusorn “Tai” Bundit.

“Grabe lang kasi ‘yong tiwala ni Coach Tai sa amin. Kahit mag-error kami, kahit ilang sunud-sunod pa ‘yan, sasabihin lang niya sa’yo, ‘Heartstrong’ (Coach Tai’s faith in the team is simply unbelievable. Even if we commit consecutive errors, he’ll just tell you, ‘Heartstrong’),” Ateneo Team Captain Alyssa Valdez quipped in a previous interview with The GUIDON.

Team manager Tony Boy Liao also described the Thai coach as someone who was “good with the kids.” “That’s his assignment in Thailand, coaching grassroots players,” he adds.

He also brought in a positive vibe to the team. The team’s defensive anchor, libero Denden Lazaro, described the coach as someone who “makes the negative positive” while Michelle Morente described him as someone who “makes everything positive that even if he criticizes me, it does not make me down.”

Training regimen

Bundit’s training regimen is no laughing matter, however. The Lady Eagles are among the teams that have the most rigorous trainings in- and off-season. Their trainings are held twice a day: Once in the morning before classes and one in the afternoon after classes.

While the team’s trademark is their “happy happy” mentality, none of the players were happy when they first met their new mentor. “We first met Coach Tai at Solaire,” Ella De Jesus says, as she remembers the team’s first meeting with the trainer. “At first glance, you could see that he’s intimidating.”

She goes on to recall, “There was a buffet, and we were all getting food when he went up to us and said, ‘Yes, eat lots of food. Need energy for tomorrow.’” If it weren’t for their classes as students, Coach Tai would have pushed through with a thrice-a-day training program.

But their sacrifices under his leadership have turned them into contenders, and eventually, champions. Not only were they trained in the physical aspects of the game, Coach Tai also made it a point to improve their mental game. He introduced meditation to the team, which served to calm the girls’ nerves during high-pressure games, as well as the now well-known “heartstrong” mantra.

Season 77 run

With a disciplined coach, proper training regimen, enough veteran experience and proper mindset, the Lady Eagles started their Season 77 on a high note. They immediately rampaged victories over National University (NU), Adamson University, UST and Far Eastern University upon their entrance to the elimination round, all of which they won in straight sets.

Their straight-set winning streak ended when they faced off with the University of the Philippines (UP), a team that defied expectations and came off as a very strong contender. The Lady Eagles struggled to keep their defenses up against UP power hitters, ceding two sets to the Lady Maroons. They were able to outlast UP, however, escaping with a 15-11 tally in the fifth set.

The team then took a leave off the UAAP games on December 2014 to participate in the ASEAN University Games held in Palembang, Indonesia. The squad represented the Philippines, with Amy Ahomiro sitting out due to residency concerns. They were successful in landing a podium finish after defeating previous bronze medalist Malaysia in the semifinals. They garnered the third spot, only behind Thailand and Indonesia.

After coming back to the Philippines, the team immediately faced off with University of the East (UE), whom they dominated in another straight-set finish. They then faced off with archrivals DLSU in the most-awaited match of the elimination round, finishing them off in a five-set thriller that ended at a 15-9 tally. By the end of the first round of eliminations, Ateneo was undefeated, 7-0.

The Lady Eagles’ performance in the second round of eliminations mirrored their stellar wins in the first. They again remained undefeated throughout the whole round, ending it with a 14-0 win-loss tally.

Finals series

The Lady Eagles went into the Finals again against La Salle with a thrice-to-beat advantage after sweeping the elimination round.

The Taft-based squad had to make do without ace spiker and Team Captain Ara Galang, however, after she tore both her anterior crucial ligament and medial collateral ligament in their stepladder match against NU. Cyd Demecillo and setter Kim Fajardo had to take on the leadership role and hoist a young squad in fighting for no less than the championship.

For this, Valdez was quick to give credit to La Salle. “If Ara [Galang] were there, definitely the game will be tighter because her presence and leadership [are] different,” the Atenean stresses in a mix of English and Filipino.

Unfortunately for the Taft-based team, they could not sustain the attacks they managed when Galang was around. Ateneo dominated both matches and won in straight sets. Ateneo setter Jia Morado sealed the deal for the Lady Eagles after securing back-to-back drop balls to end game two of the finals and give the Ateneo its second championship in the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament.

Six individual awards were given to the Lady Eagles, including Most Valuable Player (MVP), Best Scorer and Best Server for Valdez, Finals MVP for Ahomiro, Best Receiver for Lazaro and Best Setter for Morado.

Hungry for more

When asked about how they felt about their back-to-back titles, Valdez quipps in a mix of English and Filipino, “[They were] both unexpected. Last year, [there was] nothing to lose, but this year, [the] pressure was on us. We wanted to prove that we could do it. It was different this year, but overall, we’re happy that we played as a team.”

Next year, the team will be missing the veteran presence of key players Lazaro, de Jesus and Aerieal Patnongon. While this may be a big blow to Ateneo’s defensive end, new recruits are also expected to join the team, including highly touted Filipino-Canadian spiker Katrina Tolentino, the sister of Blue Eagle Vince Tolentino who served her one-year residency this year.

The key factor for next year’s run, then, is to avoid complacency and maintain the willingness to learn. Valdez shares in a mix of English and Filipino, “[Coach Tai] always reminds us that we’re not yet there and that we have a lot to improve. We think that during trainings, everyone is a rookie because all of us continuously learn a lot.”