THE ATENEO Blue Eagles faltered against the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses in four sets in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 Women’s Volleyball Tournament. The clash between the two powerful teams was held earlier today at PhilSports Arena, City of Pasig.
Opening the first set in an aggressive manner, Eya Laure and Milena Alessandrini led UST with their deep crosscourt attacks. Eager to pull away from the Blue and White, the Golden Tigresses closely defended Taks Fujimoto’s strategic plays. However, Team Captain Faith Nisperos and middle blocker AC Miner inched Ateneo closer to UST’s lead as they sparked the Blue Eagles’ offense. Unfazed by the Nisperos’ and Miner’s offensive performances, UST veteran Alessandrini closed the set with a powerful attack, 25-22.
The start of the second set saw a neck-and-neck battle between the two hard-hitting teams. Keeping the momentum on their side, veterans Vanie Gandler and Lyann de Guzman crafted a variety of attacks that the UST’s defense were unable to cover, 15-14. UST rookie Regina Jurado and middle blocker Imee Hernandez led the Golden Tigresses with their defensive blocks and off-the-block kills, 18-19. The Blue Eagles’ two-point mini run at the latter part of the set proved insufficient as Jurado secured the second set for UST with a massive kill, 25-20.
Eager to claim their first set win of the match, the Katipunan-based squad had an early 6-2 lead over the Golden Tigresses. With Fujimoto and Cassie Carballo putting out unique variations on their attacks, both teams traded points and saw another back-and-forth battle. Gandler and Nisperos continued to lead the Blue Eagles with their back row and crosscourt kills to help Ateneo gain momentum, 22-22.
As Set 3 extended, the combination of Joan Narit and Nisperos answered Hernandez and Laure’s offensive plays. Keeping her composure, Nisperos powered through the UST frontline to claim her 24th point of the match and the third set, 29-27.
Similar to the second set, the fourth set began with both teams countering each other’s attacks and committing errors on the offensive line. Maximizing her height, Hernandez strengthened the defensive wall of España on the Blue Eagles. Nisperos continued a dominant performance with her near-perfect attacks to penetrate UST’s solid blockage, 17-17. With momentum shifting on both sides of the court, the combination of Laure and Alessandrini in the offensive and service lines was too much for the Blue and White. Towering over Nisperos at the top of the net, the Golden Tigresses eventually secured the fourth set and the match, 25-21.
After their loss against the Golden Tigresses, the Blue Eagles now hold a 4-7 record to place themselves in sixth place. As they look to avoid elimination, the Katipunan-based squad will try to take down the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws on Wednesday, April 19, at 12 NN in the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City.
