THE ATENEO Women’s Volleyball Team was overpowered by the first-seeded National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, 16-25, 15-25, 21-25. The Blue Eagles’ penultimate match in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 was held earlier today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
The defeat extends Ateneo’s losing skid to four, keeping them in seventh place at a 4-9 record in the UAAP Women’s Volleyball tournament.
In a game where no Blue Eagle scored in double digits, Lyann De Guzman and AC Miner led Ateneo with nine points each. Meanwhile, Bella Belen spearheaded NU’s victory with 16 points while Camilla Lamina was named Player of the Game after dishing out 17 excellent sets with one block.
The Blue Eagles got off to an early lead as wing spikers Zey Pacia and Miner activated their well-timed hits early on, 5-2. NU sought to retaliate via Erin Pangilinan and Alyssa Solomon’s sublime actions, but Jihan Chuatico’s versatile play kept Ateneo in the lead, 10-5.
Despite their fiery start, the Blue and White failed to keep the momentum on their side, as NU mainstays Belen and Solomon powered an emphatic 6-0 run to take an 11-10 lead. With the Lady Bulldogs finding their rhythm, the Blue Eagles struggled to hold the fort on defense as Vange Alinsug began to operate on offense at will, 13-15.
The same storyline unfolded at the backend of the frame as Ateneo’s defense crumbled against NU’s variety of kills, further plummeting into a four-point deficit, 15-19. Coupled with their growing haul of errors and defensive lapses, Ateneo handed easy scoring opportunities to the Lady Bulldogs, 16-22. Showcasing their championship pedigree, the Jhocson-based squad never looked back and clinched the set with a vicious attack from Belen, 25-16.
The start of the second set saw Chuatico attempt to even things out with her quick attacks from the middle, 3-3. However, Alinsug’s left-pin actions allowed NU to create separation and head into the first technical timeout first, 8-5.
The Bulldogs then started to pull away courtesy of the Belen-Solomon duo’s firepower. Ateneo’s failure to receive NU’s serves, alongside their offensive miscues, became their downfall as they fell into a 9-19 hole. A quick attack from Minierva Maaya eventually sealed the frame for the Lady Bulldogs, 15-25.
Heading into the third frame, the Blue Eagles once again found themselves staring at an early deficit as they fell victim to their own uncontested attacking errors, 2-4. Determined to keep Ateneo within striking distance, De Guzman converted on back-to-back hits to pull the Blue Eagles to within two, 8-6.
Despite their sustained offensive efforts, the Katipunan-based squad would find themselves on the receiving end of Solomon’s firepower, as the Lady Bulldog unleashed powerful attacks to keep Ateneo at bay, 10-14. Intent on keeping the Blue Eagles in the game, De Guzman and Alex Montoro responded with timely hits of their own, 13-15.
De Guzman continued her fine form at the latter sequences of the frame with pinpoint kills from the left wing, but Ateneo’s lackluster defense allowed Belen to establish her offensive ground, 16-20. Pangilinan ultimately ended the match with a denial on Pacia, handing the Blue Eagles their fourth consecutive loss in the second round, 21-25.
Looking to capture one more win in the Blue and White’s season finale, seniors De Guzman, Taks Fujimoto, and Miner will lead the AWVT against the University of the East Red Warriors. The final page of their UAAP story will unfold on Saturday, April 26, 1:00 PM at the same venue.
Box scores:
Ateneo (0): De Guzman – 9, Miner – 9, Chuatico – 5, Montoro – 3, Sulit – 2, Pacia – 2
NU (3): Belen – 16, Pangilinan – 12, Solomon – 11, Alinsug – 9, Maaya – 9, Bello – 3, Jardio – 1, Lamina – 1
Set scores:
Ateneo-NU: 25-16, 25-15, 21-25
Current Standings (W-L):
- NU Lady Bulldogs (11-2)
- DLSU Lady Spikers (8-3)
- UST Golden Tigresses (8-4)
- FEU Lady Tamaraws (8-5)
- UP Fighting Maroons (5-6)
- AdU Lady Falcons (5-7)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (4-9)
- UE Lady Red Warriors (0-13)
