AFTER A tightly contested third set, the Ateneo Lady Eagles won the Battle of Katipunan against the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Maroons in straight sets (25-20, 25-22, 28-26) on Saturday, February 25, at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
The Lady Eagles currently hold a win-loss record of 4-2 in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Women’s Volleyball tournament.
Maddie Madayag continued her hot streak, averaging one block per set for the past four games. Season 79 Rookie of the Year Jules Samonte was the top scorer with 15 points, while setter Deanna Wong recorded 33 excellent sets. The team also tallied a season-low 18 errors which was a key factor in the win.
Ateneo Head Coach Anusorn “Tai” Bundit started Madayag, Bea De Leon, Wong, Samonte, Jho Maraguinot, Kat Tolentino, while both Ria Lo and Dani Ravena alternated the role of libero.
The Lady Eagles had the early lead in the first set, but they eventually fought back and went ahead by two after a kill off the block from the Lady Maroons (9-11). A block by De Leon then sparked a 7-2 scoring run that UP was unable to recover from, and Maraguinot ended the set with a service ace that landed right on the end line (25-20).
[1st Set] Maraguinot’s ace claims the set!
Ateneo 25 UP 20#UAAPVolleyball pic.twitter.com/w5aWsOzQ3e
— Jason R. Santos (@Jason_TheGUIDON) February 25, 2018
The Blue and White had the momentum to start the second set and an 8-1 scoring run gave them a seven-point early on (11-4). Ateneo looked to have the second set in the bag, but the Lady Maroons went on a 6-1 run to threaten a comeback (24-22). Maraguinot, however, was able to take set point with a strong kill (25-22).
[2nd Set] Maraguinot claims the set with a powerful downwards spike!
Ateneo 25 UP 22#UAAPVolleyball
— Jason R. Santos (@Jason_TheGUIDON) February 25, 2018
Hoping to prevent another straight-set sweep, UP took the lead early, but a block by Madayag tied the game (10-10). Before her block, UP’s Jessma Ramos went down with an ankle injury after accidentally landing on Tolentino’s foot. The scores stayed close until the very end, with both teams falling short of scoring runs after their respective timeouts. The last three points of the set were all UP errors, while back-to-back attack errors from UP Captain Dianna Carlos conceded the set and the match (28-26).
[3rd Set] The UP spike is long! The Lady Eagles claim their first straight-set victory of the season!
Ateneo 28 UP 26#UAAPVolleyball pic.twitter.com/EE5w197Izp
— Jason R. Santos (@Jason_TheGUIDON) February 25, 2018
“Every game is a learning experience,” said veteran middle blocker Bea De Leon in the post-game press conference. She also thanked the encouragement of her teammates and coaches, as the Lady Eagles were able to recover from a slow start to the season with a four-game winning streak.
When asked to comment on the upcoming match against the defending champions, De Leon said, “It’s really anyone’s game. Ateneo-La Salle, I think, is going to be a classic.”
“Every game is a learning experience.”
-Bea de Leon#UAAPVolleyball pic.twitter.com/Q1k6Hvh0iT
— Jason R. Santos (@Jason_TheGUIDON) February 25, 2018
The last game of the first round for the Lady Eagles will be against the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Archers on March 3, 4:00 PM, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Set Scores
Ateneo-UP: 25-20, 25-22, 28-26
Box Scores
Ateneo: Samonte – 15, Maraguinot – 11, Madayag –9, De Leon – 9, Tolentino – 7, Wong – 1
UP: Carlos – 20, Molde – 16, Layug – 7, Cailing – 2, Estranero – 2, Buitre – 1, Lim – 1, Rosier – 1
