AFTER AN impressive display on the court, the Ateneo Blue Eagles soared past the University of the East (UE) Lady Red Warriors to pick up their fourth victory of the season, 25-17, 23-25, 25-23, 25-16. The second round elimination match was held earlier today at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Though eliminated from Final Four contention after Far Eastern University’s (FEU) win yesterday, the Blue Eagles held steady at fifth in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 standings.
Team Captain Roma Mae Doromal received Player of the Game honors with 23 excellent digs and 23 excellent receptions. Starring alongside the libero was Lyann De Guzman who dropped 25 points in the victory.
On the other hand, Casiey Dongallo led UE with 27 points off 23 attacks and four blocks albeit in a losing effort.
The Blue Eagles got off to a 3-0 start in the first set and maintained their three-point advantage until the first technical timeout, 8-5. Geezel Tsunashima and AC Miner combined for nine points throughout the opener, which saw the Blue and White lead by as much as seven, 17-10. Showing their offensive prowess, Ateneo more-than-doubled UE’s output on attacks, 19-7, as the Blue Eagles proceeded to take a dominant 25-17 set victory.
Leaning on their opening momentum, the Katipunan-based squad played with the same intensity to start the second set. The Blue Eagles banked on the Lady Red Warriors’ multiple errors early on to take a 7-4 cushion.
However, with Dongallo leading the charge for UE, the Lady Red Warriors eventually took their first lead of the match at 13-12. This advantage eventually sparked an onslaught from UE, as an 8-2 run extended their advantage to five, 21-16.
Boosted by consecutive points from Sobe Buena, the Blue Eagles managed to bounce back with a 6-2 run of their own to cut their deficit to 22-24. However, despite Ateneo’s best efforts, the Lady Red Warriors eked out a tight 25-23 win in the second set off an error by the Blue Eagles.
Looking to take back momentum of the contest, Miner and Tsunashima led the charge for the Blue Eagles as the Katipunan-based squad jumped out to a 5-2 advantage early in the third set. A flurry of Ateneo miscues would then see UE race to a 5-3 run, climbing back and tying the set, 8-8.
The canto continued to be a tight-knit battle with multiple De Guzman kills keeping the score tied, 14-14. Both teams then went neck-and-neck obtaining 13 attacks apiece throughout the set. A resounding block point by Yvana Sulit bagged Ateneo the set point, 25-23.
The fourth set began in identical fashion to the prior as both teams found themselves at an 8-8 deadlock. The midpoint of the set then saw both teams trade drop-shots with Ateneo eventually taking the 18-15 lead. With crafty plays, Zey Pacia, KC Cortez and Tsunashima led a commanding 11-2 run to capture the set, 25-16.
Despite bowing out of postseason contention, Head Coach Sérgio Veloso is still pleased with the development of the program throughout the season. “I’m so proud of the team because after our last match, we played with intensity at a high level. This last part of the second round, we’ve been playing very well.”
Meanwhile, Team Captain Roma Mae Doromal shared her team’s mindset entering the final stretch. “I-enjoy na lang namin at i-cherish ‘yung moment na magkakasama kami at give lang ‘yung best namin for the Ateneo community.”
(We’re just going to enjoy and cherish the moments that we have together and just give our best for the Ateneo community.)
The Blue Eagles look to keep the ball rolling as they take on the De La Salle University Lady Spikers in their penultimate outing of the season. This matchup will take place next Sunday, April 21, 4:00 PM at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Box scores:
Ateneo (3): De Guzman – 25, Tsunashima – 18, Buena – 13, Miner – 12, Pacia -4, Sulit- 4, Cortez – 2
UE (1): Dongallo – 27, Cepada – 9, Nogales – 7, Castillo – 5, Balingit – 3, Madriaga – 3, Fernandez – 1, Nierva – 1
Set scores:
Ateneo-UE: 25-17, 23-25, 25-23, 25-16
Current Standings (W-L):
- DLSU Lady Spikers (9-1)
- UST Golden Tigresses (10-2)
- NU Lady Bulldogs (9-2)
- FEU Lady Tamaraws (7-4)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (4-8)
- AdU Lady Falcons (3-8)
- UE Lady Red Warriors (2-9)
- UP Fighting Maroons (1-9)
