THE ATENEO Blue Eagles were dealt their first defeat in their 2024 Shakey’s Super League Pre-Season Championship campaign, falling to the tournament’s defending champions, the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, in four sets, 12-25, 27-25, 16-25, 17-25.
The Blue and White’s second preseason match took place earlier at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in the City of Manila. With tonight’s loss, Ateneo slid down to the middle of the standings in Pool A with a 1-1 win-loss record.
Team Captain Lyann De Guzman had another impressive outing after leading all Ateneo scorers with nine points. On the other hand, Erin Pangilinan and Evangeline Alinsug spearheaded NU to their first victory in the tournament with 17 points and 14 points, respectively.
Right off the bat, the Blue Eagles found themselves at the receiving end of NU’s dominant offense courtesy of veteran spikers Mhicaela Belen and Alyssa Solomon. The duo led the charge in attacking and broke down Ateneo’s poor floor defense to put the Jhocson-based squad into an early 4-1 lead.
Amid the opponents’ offensive barrage, De Guzman and Geezel Tsunashima found some success midway through the set, scoring points off crosscourt kills and drop balls to prevent the gap from ballooning, 6-13.
However, Ateneo’s limited scoring avenues did not serve them well against the Lady Bulldogs’ effective blockers who forced them to concede possible tide-shifting rallies. The Blue Eagles also fell victim to their reception woes, allowing NU to score off service aces and eventually cruise through a 25-12 set win.
In contrast to the opening frame, the Lady Bulldogs started out slow in the second set after committing overhit errors to put Ateneo to an early 3-0 lead. The Blue and White showcased disciplined coordination on both ends of the floor, collectively blocking and receiving the ball to diminish NU’s offensive firepower.
Alongside this in-system play, Ateneo setter Taks Fujimoto generated a balanced offensive attack for the Katipunan side, setting up plays for wing spikers Jennifer Delos Santos and Zey Pacia.
Despite the adjustments made by the Sergio Veloso-led squad, the defending champions still managed to produce on the offensive end. Both teams continued to trade blows and commit errors in the second frame to prevent any side from pulling away, with the largest advantage being at most two points.
Following back and forth action, Ateneo remained at the lead, 17-15, after drop-ball conversions from Pacia. Responding to Ateneo’s advantage, NU subbed back their veterans into the game to retake the lead and eventually reach set point first, 24-22. However, the Lady Bulldogs failed to put the set to bed after missing a chance ball from Ateneo and then committing a service error shortly after.
Returning the favor, AC Miner’s service attempt went straight to the net, placing Ateneo at another 24-25 disadvantage. Despite this, the Blue and White’s composure pulled through, finding two down-the-line shots from Pacia and Delos Santos to reach set point, 26-25. Ateneo ultimately sealed the second set off a service ace from Pacia, 27-25.
Although Ateneo momentarily snatched back the momentum, the Blue and White saw themselves trailing behind at the start of the third set, 3-9, as they found difficulty penetrating NU’s front row defense. Stepping up for her team, Team Captain De Guzman unleashed a series of crosscourt attacks to close the gap and bring Ateneo within three points, 16-13.
Unfortunately, Ateneo’s comeback attempts inadvertently awoke reigning University Athletic Association of the Philippines Most Valuable Player Belen, who immediately turned the tide in favor of NU. Capitalizing on Ateneo’s crumbling floor defense, Belen sent spikes flying toward the way of the Blue Eagles to decisively take the third set with an emphatic kill, 25-16.
The fourth and final frame began as an offensive back-and-forth tussle on the taraflex, with both squads exchanging kills to tie the game at 6-all. While the Lady Bulldogs slowly accumulated a serviceable lead, the Blue Eagles matched their intensity with the help of De Guzman’s offensive ferocity. Despite Ateneo’s offensive run, Belen came up yet again with a sequence of powerful kills, pushing the pace to cop a 12-8 advantage for NU.
With their backs against the wall, the Blue Eagles tried their best to stave off the Lady Bulldogs’ onslaught of attacks straight towards the middle. However, Alinsug made sure to maintain NU’s lead, connecting on a critical heat for match point, 24-17. Faltering against the overbearing pressure, Ateneo’s defense collapsed in the final rally, as the Blue Eagles fell to the Bulldogs, 17-25.
Seeking redemption, the Blue Eagles hope to channel their winning spirit when they face the Arellano University Lady Chiefs next Saturday, October 12, at 1:00 PM in the same venue.
Box scores:
Ateneo (1): De Guzman – 9, Pacia – 8, Delos Santos – 6, Miner – 5, Nisperos – 4, Buena – 3, Tsunashima – 3, Sulit – 1, Fujimoto – 1, Chuatico – 1
NU (3): Pangilinan – 17, Alinsug – 14, Belen – 8, Solomon – 7, Toring – 6, Maaya – 5, Panique – 5, Bombita – 4, Lamina – 3, Mata – 3, Marsh – 1
Set scores:
Ateneo-NU: 12-25, 27-25, 16-25, 17-25
Current Pool A Standings (W-L):
- AU Lady Chiefs (2-0)
- NU Lady Bulldogs (1-0)
- Ateneo Blue Eagles (1-1)
- SBU Lady Red Spikers (0-2)
- EAC Lady Generals (0-1)
