In line with the ongoing Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Open Conference, this bi-weekly series will analyze the Ateneo-Motolite Lady Eagles’ preseason preparations.
Recap of the week
On October 13, the Ateneo-Motolite Lady Eagles took down the Iriga-Navy Lady Oragons in straight sets, 25-19, 29-27, 25-14 after coming from behind, from 5-16 down, in the second set.
The next day the Blue and White defeated the only other collegiate team in the PVL, the Adamson-Akari Lady Falcons, in five exciting sets, 17-25, 25-23, 25-20, 21-25, 15-12 . The team’s leading scorer, Kat Tolentino, racked up 20 spikes, five blocks, and three service aces while rookie libero Bela Peralta had 24 excellent digs and 23 excellent receives.
Another five-set thriller awaited the Katipunan-based squad on October 17 against the Tacloban Fighting Warays. Head Coach Oliver Almadro told his seniors to “step up [and] dominate,” which powered veteran middles Maddie Madayag and Bea De Leon to combine for 27 points while setter Deanna Wong posted an efficient 16 of 20 excellent digs.
October 21 was an Ateneo reunion featuring current Lady Eagles, without starters Ponggay Gaston, Tolentino, and Madayag due to a required academic immersion, and former Lady Eagles Alyssa Valdez and Jia Morado. The phenom’s Creamline Cool Smashers dominated the undermanned Lady Eagles in straight sets, 23-25, 17-25, 14-25.
Round 2
On October 27, the Lady Eagles opened up the second round with a straight-set win versus the reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Myla Pablo and the Pocari-Air Force Lady Warriors, 27-25, 25-21, 25-21.
During their second match-up last October 28, Ateneo-Motolite exacted revenge on the Creamline Cool Smashers after an intense five-set match, 25-18, 25-20, 15-25, 23-25, 15-12.
Upcoming games
Saturday, November 3, 4:00 PM vs Tacloban (4-5) at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
Sunday, November 4, 6:00 PM vs Iriga-Navy (3-7) at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
Saturday, November 10, 4:00 PM vs Banko-Perlas (6-2) at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
Photo by Zoey Ignacio
1. Block party
At the net, Ateneo has an incredible advantage in terms of their height. After the first round in the PVL, three Lady Eagles were able to break into the top 10 best blockers of the league. Veteran middle spiker Madayag sits at second with 24 kill blocks, averaging 0.67 blocks a set. Utility spiker Kat Tolentino is close behind at fifth place with 22 kill blocks and an average of 0.61 blocks per set. Team captain de Leon, comes in at tenth with 14 kills and a 0.39 blocks per frame average.
While the triple towers are making a name for Ateneo’s block party, Gandler is showing signs of continuing the blocking tradition as she set a wall up against the phenom, Valdez. The rookie’s block against the superstar was not only a kill block but also the winning point in the five set thriller against the Creamline Cool Smashers.
Photo by Zoey Ignacio
2. Poor floor defense
After the first round of matches, the Lady Eagles’ only two losses were dealt in straight sets by the BanKo Perlas Spikers and the Creamline Cool Smashers, who are currently the best serving squads in the tournament.
During the Lady Eagles’ game against the Perlas Spikers, libero Dani Ravena was only able to produce 10 excellent receives out of a minimal 20 attempts to defend the Perlas Spikers’ serves. Going up against the Creamline Cool Smashers, Gandler was also only able to produce 10 good receives out of 28 attempts during their loss to former Head Coach Tai Bundit’s squad.
Photo by Joshua Tan
3. Attacking in a new system against professional players
Despite having the best record in the league, the Ateneo-Motolite Lady Eagles’ 25.89% attacking success rate puts them at a mere sixth in the league in terms of offensive efficiency. Tolentino, the team’s top scorer, is currently the tenth most efficient spiker in the league with a success rate of 27.97%, only slightly above the league average of 27.62%. In Season 80 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the Lady Eagles were number one in spiking with an efficiency of 31.08%.
This low percentage as compared to the previous season could be a result of both the new coaching system and a higher level of competition in the PVL. Bundit had been with the team since Season 76 while new Almadro only took charge this season.
Based on statistics from UAAP Season 80, the collegiate average for excellent digs per set stands at 27.19% per set while the current average for the PVL is 32.43%. With the Lady Eagles spiking against some of the best professional players in the country while adapting to a new system, their offensive efficiency will likely take a dip before the next UAAP season starts.
Photo by Paolo Yaptinchay
4. Gandler, the wonder kid
Among the six new rookies, Gandler has been the only constant starter. One reason why Almadro has opted to trust the raw prospect over other veterans may be her consistency as she’s averaged at least six points over her last three games.
The 5’9” open spiker from De La Salle Santiago Zobel has been a key factor for the Lady Eagles both on offense and defense. In the round one match-up against the Creamline Cool Smashers, Gandler led the undermanned team in scoring with 10 points, five excellent digs, and 10 excellent receives.
In the second round, she brought in six points, highlighted by the kill block on former Lady Eagle Valdez that sealed the match. She has quickly become a fan favorite and will be one to watch in the remainder of the PVL and the coming UAAP season.
