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 aim to soar higher in Season 86.

MIXED RESULTS rake the Ateneo Women’s Volleyball Team (AWVT) back from holding a fourth-seed placeholder after splitting the last two games of the first round. Sitting at a 2-5 win-loss record, the team hangs on a brittle thread as they split the fifth step of the ladder with the Adamson University (AdU) Lady Falcons.

Chalking up Ateneo’s second win this season, the Blue Eagles thwarted the Lady Falcons on March 13 in a mostly one-sided affair in the skies, 3-1. However, the team’s titanic efforts were no match against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws, who continued to pound down the Blue and White after a brief second set turn-over. The Blue Eagles’ chances of clinching fourth-seed were trampled on by their Sampaloc-based foes last Sunday, 1-3.

Landing a slot in the Final Four would be a tricky feat for the Blue Eagles to pull off, but where seasoned coaching meets infallible spirits, the AWVT has an edge to succeed.

1. From the net down

Photo courtesy of Francis Ong

Matthea: The Eagles’ nest houses undeniably sharp shooters at the vanguard of Ateneo’s attacking front. Veteran opposite spiker Lyann De Guzman currently soars third among the season’s best scorers, posting 116 cumulative points, just one above De La Salle University’s (DLSU) phenom Angel Canino. Frontrunners Sobe Buena and Zel Tsunashima did not fly far from De Guzman, recording 74 and 54 scoring spikes apiece to earn their well-deserved places within the Top 15.

However, having formidable high hitters with expert playmaking on their own will not suffice in punching a ticket into the Final Four. While Ateneo does have its own supercharged tenacity to score on their opponents, the Blue and White struggle the most when the ball is hurtled down from the opposite side of the net. The Blue Eagles are perched at last place overall in terms of blocking, suggesting a slight inconsistency between their net coverage when progressing to attack versus when defending.

Consequently, the team has an observable needs to widen its range on floor defense. Team Captain and seasoned defensive specialist Roma Doromal showcased remarkable saves as the season’s sixth best digger, and Ateneo still has plenty of room to step up their ball retrieval. To complement the skipper’s guard of the ground, the Blue Eagles could benefit from extending their adeptness to recover from clever hits by their opponents.

Especially when up against the Taft’s towering Lady Spikers and the Golden Tigresses, Ateneo’s strongest weapon will be its grit, from which the Blue Eagles may strike an ideal balance between offense and defense.

2. If the stars align

Photo by Chelsea May Tan

Luis: Although the Blue Eagles currently find themselves at the exact same spot at this point last year with a 2-5 record after the first round, the extremely top-heavy nature of Season 86 gives Ateneo a rare opportunity to compete for a semifinal slot.

While the Faith Nisperos-led squad in Season 85 slotted themselves at sixth and three games behind the fourth seed, the Blue Eagles this year stand at fifth, only two games away from fourth in the standings.

Returning to last week’s games, if the AWVT had managed to snag a victory in their last match against FEU, the Loyola Heights-based squad would have soared to the solo fourth spot, marking them as a dark-horse Final Four contender.

For Ateneo, the most probable scenario at this point in the season is sneaking their way into the last semifinals spot, which certainly will not be an easy task. In order to make this opportunity a reality, the Blue Eagles would need to shift gears and secure more wins compared to their first round performance.

To ensure this position, the AWVT would need to perfect their consistency as they nearly beat formidable teams early on. However, they have simply failed to sustain their advantage in the endgame.

For the Blue Eagles to make a decisive push for the Final Four, the Sérgio Veloso-led squad must take decisive victories over the league’s best. With Buena, De Guzman, Doromal, and Taks Fujimoto all currently in the top ten in different scoring and defensive categories, their early accolades should be a call to finally tap into their potential.

Additionally, for Veloso, this is the time to finally find a formula that brings out the best in what this current Ateneo roster is truly capable of. Having seen glimpses of what this squad can do when all players click, similar to the games against National University (NU) and FEU, the Blue Eagles need to find a solid rotation and stick with it until the homestretch.

This week’s games:

Wednesday, March 20, 4:00 PM, vs. University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses at the Smart Araneta Coliseum

Sunday, March 24, 2:00 PM, vs. University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons at the Smart Araneta Coliseum

Current Standings (W-L):

1. UST Golden Tigresses (7-0) 
2. DLSU Lady Spikers (6-1) 
3. NU Lady Bulldogs (5-2)
4. FEU Lady Tamaraws (4-3)
5. ATENEO Blue Eagles (2-5)
6. AdU Lady Falcons (2-5)
7. UE Lady Red Warriors (1-6)
8. UP Fighting Maroons (1-6)