THE ATENEO Women’s Volleyball Team (AWVT) concluded their Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Pre-season Championship campaign with a fifth-place finish after prevailing over the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Lady Blazers in four sets, 26-24, 25-16, 21-25, 25-23. The match took place earlier this evening at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in the City of Manila.
Team Captain Lyann De Guzman and middle blocker AC Miner both received Player of the Game honors after leading the Blue and White’s offense. De Guzman produced 20 points off 19 attacks and an ace, while Miner contributed 12 kills and one block for a combined 13 markers.
Ateneo’s veterans immediately made their presence felt at the start of the first set as Miner and Zel Tsunashima unleashed quick kills for an early 2-0 lead. The opening frame then featured a tight exchange of points, with Ateneo only holding a slim two-point advantage heading into the first technical timeout, 8-6.
Eager to catch up after the break, Benilde went on a quick 2-o run off a Mycah Go down-the-line hit and a Chenae Basarte ace to tie the game at 9-all. As both teams vied for momentum, a crosscourt kill by Tsunashima led to Ateneo scoring three straight points, 14-11. However, the Lady Blazers were quick to respond, mounting a 3-0 run of their own to even the score.
The back-and-forth affair eventually ended at 19-all when the Lady Blazers took a two-point lead, 21-19, off a powerful hit and a well-timed block. However, De Guzman and fellow veteran Jennifer Delos Santos scored crucial points to knot the game once more, 23-23.
In a pressure-packed moment of the set, Alexia Montoro was inserted into the game and delivered a sharp serve that led to a Miner quick in transition, putting Ateneo at set point, 24-23.
However, the set went to an extension after Montoro failed to bring her second serve over the net, 24-all. In spite of the miscue, Delos Santos and De Guzman came through in the clutch once again, unleashing a crosscourt kill and a well-placed drop, respectively, to secure their first-set win, 26-24.
Although both teams fielded a new mix of players in the second set, the game’s storyline remained the same, as the neck-and-neck battle continued in the early actions of the canto until midway through the frame at 14-all. Ateneo then surged ahead with a five-point run, giving them some much-needed breathing room at 19-14.
Although the Taft-based squad momentarily halted the Blue and White’s offensive barrage, Miner took control late in the set, igniting a commanding four-point rally to push Ateneo further ahead, 23-15. Struggles with errors proved costly for the Taft-based unit, as a crucial attacking error in the final play handed Ateneo the second set, 25-16.
Eager to win the match via a sweep, the Blue Eagles immediately broke through the back-and-forth exchange at the third set by orchestrating a 3-0 run, 6-4, thanks to quick plays from Miner and Yvana Sulit, followed by an attacking error from Benilde. Unwilling to give up, the Lady Blazers rallied to seize control of the set at the frame’s first technical timeout, 7-8.
The rest of the frame saw the Blue Eagles play catch-up and keep within striking distance, 18-19. However, a crucial net touch called on Ateneo sparked a four-point blitz for the Taft-based squad, 23-18. Despite the late offensive efforts of De Guzman, Miner, and Tsunashima, the Blue and White failed to defend Mary Grace Borromeo’s hit off a combination, losing the third set to Benilde, 21-25.
Starting the fourth frame, Sobe Buena set the tone for Ateneo with an early ace and a block. De Guzman followed with consistent off-the-block hits, including a crucial back-to-back scoring run to give Ateneo a four-point cushion, 13-9. Benilde retaliated with quick attacks and strong floor defense to stay within reach, 15-17.
As the set progressed, the Lady Blazers mounted a late rally to tie the score at 17-all and even take the lead, 20-18. The Blue Eagles leaned on their team captain once more as De Guzman fought back with timely hits and a key block to regain the advantage at 23-22. Despite Benilde’s strong net defense in the final rally, the Blue and White secured the game with a decisive off-the-block point from Tsunashima, 25-23.
Ending their SSL stint on a positive note, the AWVT looks to take in the lessons from their preseason campaign as they continue to prepare for the upcoming UAAP season.
Box scores:
Ateneo (3): De Guzman – 20, Miner – 13, Tsunashima – 9, Delos Santos – 8, Buena – 6, Sulit – 5, Chuatico – 4, Montoro – 3, Cortez – 2, Nisperos – 2, Fujimoto – 1
DLS-CSB (1): Catarig – 14, Nolasco – 11, Borromeo – 10, Ondangan – 9, Go – 5, Estoque – 5, Densing – 3, Basarte – 2, Lleses – 1, Badion – 1
