AFTER SUFFERING a cold streak from their last two games, the Ateneo Blue Eagles claimed their first victory of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87, sweeping the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 25-18, 25-22, 25-18. The match was held earlier today at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The win provisionally places the Blue Eagles at third in the Women’s Volleyball  standings with a win-loss record of 1-2.

Player of the Game Sobe Buena led the Blue and White with 17 points from 15 attacks, while Team Captain Lyann De Guzman and AC Miner also contributed in double digits with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Hungry for a breakthrough match-up, the Blue Eagles showed off their offensive knack early in the opening set. De Guzman found her attacking rhythm early to set the momentum for Ateneo with an explosive cross-court hit, 1-all. Supplementing the skipper was Buena, who boasted her attack variations to boost the Blue and White’s game at 8-4.

Despite the Fighting Maroons’ efforts to close the gap, De Guzman maintained the upper hand alongside middle blockers Yvana Sulit and Miner, who delivered crucial kills of their own, 15-11. Taking advantage of UP’s errors on the floor, Ateneo eventually claimed the first set with poise, 25-18.

In spite of the first set’s smooth sail, the Blue Eagles fell victim to UP’s Irah Jaboneta in the second frame. Jaboneta’s sheer attacking prowess resulted in an intimidating 8-0 run for UP. Disrupting their streak, rookie Alexia Montoro came off the bench for the Blue Eagles to provide much-needed stability in offense and defense. The fearless outside hitter helped cut the Fighting Maroons’ lead with a down-the-line attack to counter UP’s floor defense, 8-13.

From a six-point deficit, the Blue and White reduced the gap down to two, 18-20, with De Guzman unleashing consecutive conversions for the team. A down-the-line hit from the skipper then put the set at a deadlock, 20-20.

After a power struggle between the neighboring rivals, Buena’s attack put the Blue Eagles at an advantage, 23-21, followed by Miner to hand Ateneo the second set in a comeback fashion, 25-22.

With victory in sight, the girls in blue were dead-set on ending the match on a strong note. Despite Ateneo gaining comfortable leverage, the Fighting Maroons forced deadlocks early in the third frame to challenge the Blue Eagles’ defense. Undeterred by their Katipunan rivals’ attacking efforts, Ateneo capitalized on their adversaries’ miscommunication errors to gain the lead at 5-4.

Buena turned the tides after a nail-biting rally that ended with her well-placed shot to cement a 6-4 lead. Ateneo then cruised to letting loose a shower of spikes, supplemented by solid floor defense led by the Blue Eagles’ libero Sarah Hugo, 8-4.

Buena maintained her winning form, leading Ateneo to a nine-point advantage towards the backend of the set, 18-9. Coupled with errors from the Loyola Heights-based squad, Jaboneta’s presence permitted UP to bridge the gap to five points at 15-20. However, the Blue Eagles joined forces to widen the lead even further. With a firm hold in the driver’s seat, Buena sealed the deal with a statement kill, claiming the match at 25-18.

Determined to remain in the win column, the Blue Eagles will go up against the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws next Sunday, March 2, at 3:00 PM in the same venue.

Box scores:

Ateneo (3): Buena – 17, De Guzman – 14, Miner – 12, Sulit – 9, Chuatico – 5, Fujimoto – 1, Montoro – 1

UP (0): Jaboneta – 11, Manguilmotan – 4, Ytang – 4, Doering – 4, Olango – 3, Monares – 3, Bansil – 3,  Cabasac – 2, Lauchengco – 2, Celis – 1, Noceja – 1

Set scores:

Ateneo-UP: 25-18, 25-22, 25-18