In line with the return of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Women’s Volleyball Tournament, this weekly series will analyze the state of the Ateneo Blue Eagles as they start to defend their crown for Season 84.

AFTER A difficult exposition to begin UAAP Season 84, the Ateneo Blue Eagles rekindled their fire and clinched two straight victories to finish last week with a 2-3 record.

To start off their week, the Blue Eagles recorded their third loss after being overpowered by the Adamson University (AdU) Lady Falcons, 1-3, last May 10. In the next two matches last May 12 and 14, respectively, the Blue and White stood their ground against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws, 3-0, and University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 3-0 to secure their first two wins of the season.

1. Orchestrating an outstanding offense 

Lei: As the Blue Eagles look to complete a back-to-back championship run, their 0-3 record to start the season was certainly disheartening. Yet the Blue Eagles’ recent performances have sparked some light for the Ateneo faithful as the team utilized their early much-needed adjustments to their playing style.

In our first weekly takeaways, I noted how critical it is for the young Ateneo team to find other options for scoring in order to throw off the opponents’ floor defense. In my analysis now, the main reason for Ateneo’s current winning streak may be credited to setter Jaja Maraguinot’s outstanding offense orchestration. We have known Maraguinot’s abilities for a long time given her status as a reliable player for Ateneo, but we are now seeing incredible levels of refinement as she takes charge of the team’s adjustments.

Before Maraguinot could make modifications on offense, Nisperos was the only player to produce a double-digit output in their game against the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs last May 7 after scoring 11 points. Because of a failure to convert sets into attack points, the whole team struggled to put numbers on the board. In cases like these, it is easy for blame to fall on the setter, as a majority of the plays were isolated for the outside hitters Nisperos, Vanie Gandler, and Lyann De Guzman on the wings and even from the backcourt.

After the three straight elimination round losses, we saw a huge difference in the Blue Eagles’ play throughout their dominant performance against FEU. The match was highlighted by Joan Narit, who produced 10 points behind Nisperos’ and De Guzman’s 14 and 12 points, respectively. This match alone points out that their setter Maraguinot has been making more strategic choices for the direction of the ball, distributing the reception to the most apt hitters in position.

If the Blue Eagles want to extend their winning streak going, they would need more smart plays from Maraguinot to help them utilize their skill and offensive strategies.

2. Powering up from the slump

Kristen: With more effective sets from Maraguinot, the Blue Eagles were able to convert their attacks into crucial points as they broke through and disrupted the opponents’ defense. Particularly, leading the charge against Adamson and UP were Faith Nisperos and Vanie Gandler—although they were more consistent in their face off against the latter, averaging 42.42% and 44.44% in attack efficiency, respectively. Meanwhile, Lyann De Guzman showed up for the Blue and White in their win against FEU, combining her efforts with Nisperos’ for a total of 20 points from spikes.

Climbing up 2-3 from a 0-3 losing pit in the standings, the Blue Eagles have become significantly more productive on the offensive end, finding the loopholes in their contenders’ blocks and floors. This was a marked improvement, especially from Nisperos and Gandler, who had poor showings in their first three games. Their struggles were put in the spotlight against the Adamson University (AdU) Lady Falcons with only 28% and 27.50% attack efficiency for Nisperos and Gandler, respectively. Errors mounted as they failed to control their spikes, either driving the ball to the net or sending it outside. During timeouts, Coach Oliver Almadro would be heard constantly reminding them to be more confident in their attacks and to be unafraid of challenging the blocks that awaited them.

In their games the previous week, we saw these reminders translate into action as the Blue Eagles improved from the attack lines. Varying their spikes, Nisperos and Gandler erupted from all sides of the court, going for either power hits or quick drops as they read through the opponents’ defense. While they appropriately regulated their attacks, they also put more faith in their teammates who took the responsibility of saving returned balls from blocks.

The Blue Eagles have definitely warmed up after successfully boosting their record in the elimination round of the tournament with two consecutive wins. If they can maintain such performances from the offense as they benefit from their setter’s potential, then the Blue Eagles can increase their chances of ending the season more dominantly than how they began.

3. Standing on sturdy ground

Gap: After watching a seemingly spunkless Blue Eagles in their first few matches, the Blue Eagles’ well-earned victories against FEU and UP were the successful reboots needed to boost their confidence. Without a doubt, Nisperos and Gandler soared at the wings while Maraguinot shone at the setting post, but a big contribution to their victory was the hefty support on the floor provided by Roma Doromal.

Over the course of the three matches last week, Doromal was consistently at the top of Ateneo’s defensive statistics. Against AdU, she had 47.06% on excellent digs and 23.08% on excellent receptions. However the succeeding matches against FEU and UP were where Doromal stood out. The junior libero docked 66.67% reception efficiency in her match against the Lady Tamaraws, before recording 76.92% on digs and 47.06% on receives in her match with the Fighting Maroons. With the security Doromal offered behind Ateneo’s wings, the Blue and White were finally able to take flight and clinch two straight victories.

Since digging and receiving are the first instances players come into contact with the ball, they can make or break the chance at an offensive play. As a result of Ateneo’s sturdier coverage, the setters of the Blue Eagles have more opportunities to better distribute the ball among the other spikers. With more tactically placed sets, Ateneo’s attack patterns become less predictable, increasing the chances of scoring a point. At the core of every activated offense is a bulwark of a defense to rely on.

Moving forward, the entire troop of Blue Eagles—not just the liberos—need to sustain this kind of elevated defensive performance so that the Blue and White can continue rising up the ranks.