STEMMING FROM their newfound confidence, the Ateneo Blue Eagles gain the upper hand in a set-sweep win against the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 25-24, 25-20, 25-15. The game was held earlier today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
The win keeps Ateneo in contention for a possible Final Four appearance, despite being at the fifth spot in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 standings.
Spearheading the point tallies for the Blue and White was Geezel Tsunashima, contributing 16 points with her offensive play. Meanwhile, the excellent attack front exhibited by Sobe Buena from the left side of the court complemented Tsunashima’s strenuous feat, contributing 10 points to the scoreboard. Following suit, both AC Miner and Lyann De Guzman tallied eight points while Zey Pacia further solidified the team’s triumphant victory by garnering six points throughout the match.
Opening the match with a relentless ball kill from De Guzman, the long rally ended in favor of the Blue and White, 1-0. Complementing De Guzman’s vigorous attack front, AC Miner delivered multiple quick attacks and even fired from the back row to add more points for Ateneo. Notwithstanding UP’s early lead at 9-8, the Blue Eagles regained momentum with consecutive service aces from Yvanna Sulit and libero-captain Roma Doromal’s timely defensive stops. Despite the Lady Maroons’ attempt to seize the set, the Blue and White ultimately gained the upper hand, 25-14.
The Blue Eagles then leaned on their dominant frontline, led by Miner, to take a quick 11-7 advantage in the second set, forcing UP to call for time. Off the timeout, the Fighting Maroons came away with three straight points to close the gap, 11-10. However, the combined heroics of De Guzman and Buena brought back Ateneo’s advantage to 16-12 by powering through the Fighting Maroon blockers. The Blue Eagles then went on a 6-0 run, leaning on Tsunashima’s three points throughout the outburst to lead 23-16. With Ateneo at set point due to UP’s service error, it was Tsunashima who once again closed out the set with an attack through the blockers, 25-20.
Determined to end the match early, the Blue Eagles consistently fronted the floor defense with Doromal’s arduous digs. On the other wing, the Blue and White fortified the Ateneo wall with their towering blocks which became their conclusive advantage in the final set. Tsunashima’s power throughs from the back row and Pacias statement running attacks characterized the final frames of the match, handing the Blue Eagles a comfortable lead at 14-7. Ateneo never looked back, as they capped their strenuous feat with an Anthea Selga service ace to claim the triumphant victory at 25-15.
After taking University of Santo Tomas to the distance, and now sweeping the Fighting Maroons, confidence is at an all-time high for Head Coach Sérgio Veloso and the Blue Eagles.
“Now, everybody can see how the Ateneo team can play at this level, no matter the opponent, we [keep] trying to do our best, that’s [what’s] most important,” the Brazilian tactician said.
Following this win against their Katipunan co-tenants, the Blue Eagles hope to continue on with their momentum as they take on the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws in a crucial match next Thursday, April 4, 4:00 PM at the Mall of Asia Arena in the City of Pasay.
Box scores:
Ateneo (3): Tsunashima – 16, Buena – 10, Miner – 8, De Guzman – 8, Pacia – 6, Sulit – 2, Selga – 1, Fujimoto – 1
UP (0): Bustrillo – 8, Jaboneta – 5, Ytang – 5, Monares – 4, Baclay – 2, Capistrano – 1, Celis – 1, Encarnacion – 1, Magsombol – 1, Goc – 1, Gould – 1
Set scores: 25-14, 25-20, 25-15
Standings (W-L):
- UST Golden Tigresses (8-0)
- DLSU Lady Spikers (7-1)
- NU Lady Bulldogs (6-2)
- FEU Lady Tamaraws (4-4)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (3-6)
- UE Lady Red Warriors (2-6)
- AdU Lady Falcons (2-6)
- UP Fighting Maroons (1-8)
