THE ATENEO Women’s Volleyball Team (AWVT) absorbed their first blow of University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87, falling short against the Adamson University (AdU) Lady Falcons, 25-21, 25-20, 12-25, 15-25, 12-15. The match was held earlier today at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Veteran AC Miner carried the offensive load for Ateneo, scoring 18 points with 16 coming from spikes. Geezel Tsunashima and Yvana Sulit also contributed 10 points each.
Meanwhile, Shaina Nitura dazzled the Pasay crowd in her first-ever UAAP collegiate match, tying the Lady Falcons’ all-time scoring record set by Angela Benting in 2009 with 33 blazing points.
Ateneo’s top scorers Miner and Sulit opened the first set with precision on both ends of the floor, taking an early 8-5 lead for the AWVT. However, the Blue Eagles’ floor defense started to struggle as Adamson scored four straight points in return, 8-9.
Tsunashima then thrived on attacking from the wing, posing problems for the Lady Falcons’ defense. The lefty spiker unleashed four consecutive kills for the Blue Eagles to force a 15-15 deadlock. On the other side, highly anticipated rookie Nitura spearheaded Adamson’s offense with a variety of attacks.
While both teams continued to grapple for momentum throughout the set, a Zey Pacia block and service error on the Lady Falcons’ side gave Ateneo the edge and the first set win, 25-21.
Following the opening frame, the Sergio Veloso-coached unit further tightened their defense. Libero Sarah Hugo showed improvements in her digging ability, keeping the ball alive amid back-and-forth rallies. This adjustment, alongside elite blocking reads, allowed the Blue Eagles to build a quick 10-4 advantage.
Similar to the previous set, Adamson climbed back into the game courtesy of Nitura’s offensive dominance coupled with Ateneo’s errors. With the score tied at 14-all, setter Taks Fujimoto banked on activating her middle blockers for points, as Sulit and Miner mounted an 8-0 run for the Katipunan-based squad, 22-14.
Although the Lady Falcons threatened to launch a comeback, 20-24, these efforts would be in vain as Tsunashima sealed the second set with a service ace, 25-20, in favor of Ateneo.
The third frame saw the Blue Eagles struggling to penetrate their opponents’ front-row defense, as the Lady Falcons soared to a 14-7 advantage mostly from blocks alone. Adamson’s Frances Mordi emerged as the hero of the set, with her back-to-back service aces and strong defensive performance constricting Ateneo’s play.
Despite Lyann De Guzman’s serviceable receptions, the Blue Eagles eventually dropped the third set, 12-25, after committing consecutive service errors and succumbing to a decisive block from the Ermita-based squad.
In the fourth set, the Nitura-centric offense of the Lady Falcons continued to elude the Blue Eagles, with the team racing to a 4-1 advantage off the bat. Eager to return to form, the AWVT managed to crawl back into the game via a 6-3 run, 7-7, courtesy of a heater and a block from Miner. Still, Nitura maintained her spectacular performance, sending out a combination of dinks and straights that shattered the Blue Eagles’ defense and tied the match at two sets apiece, 15-25.
Hoping to finally end this bout once and for all, the Loyola Heights-based crew turned the final set into a back-and-forth affair, 7-7, forcing errors from the opposing side. However, Ateneo’s momentum quickly went kaput following a silencing tool from the Lady Falcons, which Nitura immediately capitalized on to establish a two-point lead, 7-9.
Adding to the Blue Eagles’ wounds, Tsunashima suffered an injury in the latter half of the fifth set. Already playing without wing hitter Jennifer Delos Santos—who did not suit up in today’s match despite being in the lineup—the exit placed a damper on Ateneo’s offense.
While rookie Alexia Montoro tried to uplift her team’s spirits with an off-the-block point, 11-12, the Lady Falcons’ momentum proved to be overwhelming. In the final possession of the game, Mordi delivered a spike through the block to complete the reverse sweep for Adamson, 15-12.
Determined to recover from the early setback, the Blue Eagles will take on defending champions National University Lady Bulldogs on Wednesday, February 19, at 11:00 AM at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
Box scores:
Ateneo (2): Miner – 18, Tsunashima – 10, Sulit – 10, De Guzman – 9, Montoro – 6, Chuatico – 2
AdU (3): Nitura – 33, Mordi – 23, Villegas – 8, Dote – 5, Sagaysay – 5, Bascon – 3, Nuique – 1
Set scores:
Ateneo-AdU: 25-21, 25-20, 12-25, 15-25, 12-15
Current Standings (W-L):
- FEU Lady Tamaraws (1-0)
- UP Fighting Maroons (1-0)
- AdU Lady Falcons (1-0)
- DLSU Lady Spikers (0-0)
- NU Lady Bulldogs (0-0)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (0-1)
- UE Lady Red Warriors (0-1)
- UST Golden Tigresses (0-1)
