THE ATENEO Women’s Volleyball Team closed their preseason campaign with a hard-fought five-set loss to the undefeated De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers, 18-25, 20-25, 25-20, 25-20, 15-17. The quarterfinal match took place earlier today at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in the City of Manila.
The loss officially eliminates the Blue Eagles in the 2024 Shakey’s Super League Pre-Season Championship after failing to overcome a twice-to-win disadvantage against their longtime rivals.
Leading the way for the Blue and White was Team Captain Lyann De Guzman with 17 points. Following this effort was wing spiker Sobe Buena who chipped in with nine attacks, one block, and a team-leading two service aces.
On the side of DLSU, Amie Provido was named Player of the Match, as she scored 13 points, including three denials and three aces to lead the Lady Spikers.
The Green and White came out of the opening set in a roaring start, with the team’s formidable net defense and sharp services allowing them to take an early lead, 5-9. La Salle aces Angel Canino and Shevana Laput kept their team ahead, with the tandem taking full advantage of Ateneo’s errors, 19-11.
Midway through the set, the Blue Eagles found renewed energy and focus on the defensive end following a tactical timeout. Ateneo quickly rattled off three straight points, highlighted by Yvana Sulit, to minimize the deficit at 14-19. Eager to maintain their unblemished record in the tournament, however, the Lady Spikers showcased their high caliber to stabilize themselves, paving the way for them to close out the set, 25-18, with a booming slide attack from Amie Provido.
Recovering from their earlier set loss, the Blue Eagles opened the second set with consistent digs on the floor to shut down the Lady Spikers’ spike attempts. Leveraging their strong defensive play, Ateneo unleashed a series of crosses that dragged the set to a tense 7-7 standoff.
The set remained frozen at a 16-16 deadlock until the Lady Spikers jumped ahead to a 3-0 run, which then saw La Salle’s veterans Canino and Provido come back to the court to unleash some mighty attacks and seal the set for their squad at 25-20.
Although the Katipunan-based squad raced to a 7-4 advantage early in the third frame, three service aces from Provido sparked a 6-1 run for La Salle to pull themselves ahead with a 10-8 lead. With their backs against the wall, Ateneo eventually surged back into the set with renewed offensive tenacity, 19-17, courtesy of crucial quicks and service aces from Sulit and AC Miner.
De Guzman then continued to hound the Lady Spikers with cross-court bombs to build a four-point cushion in the latter stages of the crucial third set. Ateneo ultimately ended the frame with a solid block against Alleiah Malaluan to snatch their first set victory over La Salle since 2022, 25-20.
After their momentum-shifting set, the Blue Eagles engaged in a back-and-forth affair in the fourth, 5-5, wearing away the Lady Spikers with their suffocating net defense. Even against Canino’s earth-shattering spikes, Ateneo still equalized the set at 11-all, capitalizing on several net errors from the Taft-based squad.
Gaining momentum on their side, the Blue Eagles persistently penetrated the Lady Spikers’ wall, widening the gap to 20-16. Geezel Tsunashima eventually connected a spectacular cross to secure a 25-20 set victory for Ateneo and push the match to a deciding fifth set.
Looking to force a do-or-die rubber match for a semifinal slot, the Blue Eagles started the final frame hot with back-to-back attacks from De Guzman, 4-2. While both teams showcased strong net defense and an unwavering hustle, the Katipunan-based unit went ahead to grab a slim 8-7 lead that prompted the court switch.
After an exchange of service errors that brought the game level at 11-all, DLSU turned to their team captain in Canino to snatch the lead, 12-13. Not to be outdone, Atenean skipper De Guzman also showed up for the Blue Eagles with a crucial kill to bring the advantage back to the Blue Eagles and put themselves at match point, 14-13.
However, after a costly service error that brought the teams to another deadlock, it was DLSU’s Laput who closed the match for Lady Spikers, serving a monster block that put an end to the Blue Eagles’ preseason campaign, 15-17.
Following their elimination from the SSL preseason tournament, the Blue Eagles seek to make a grand entrance on the taraflex in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 87 early next year.
Box scores:
Ateneo (2): De Guzman – 17, Buena – 12, Miner – 7, Sulit – 6, Tsunashima – 6, Chuatico – 4, Delos Santos – 4, Montoro – 4, Nisperos – 2, Cortez – 1, Silla Ma. – 1
DLSU (3): Canino – 17, Laput – 16, Provido – 13, Del Castillo – 11, Soreño – 9, Malaluan – 8, Reterta – 4, Ordiales – 2, Nunag – 1, Santos – 1
Set scores:
Ateneo-DLSU: 18-25, 20-25, 25-20, 25-20, 15-17
