THE ATENEO Women’s Volleyball Team (AWVT) failed to contain the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses, 15-25, 24-26, 24-26, in another sweeping loss against a veteran team. The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 bout was held earlier today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
This defeat plunged the Blue Eagles into a 4-7 win-loss record in the eliminations, putting them at sixth in the standings.
AC Miner rallied her squad with a losing effort of 12 attacks, five digs, and one block. Co-captain Lyann De Guzman also contributed 12 points of her own, all coming from attacks.
For the Golden Tigresses, meanwhile, Angge Poyos produced on the offensive end, registering 15 kills and a service ace.
Early in the opening frame, the Blue Eagles quickly fell in a 3-8 hole due to the Golden Tigresses’ explosive offense, forcing the Katipunan-based unit to call an early timeout. Ateneo then showed signs of life and responded with a quick 3-0 run that brought them to within two, 6-8, courtesy of back-to-back attacks by De Guzman and Zey Pacia.
However, UST’s pestering defense and offense permitted them to execute multiple runs, effectively preventing the Blue and White from refining their offensive flow. Due to Ateneo’s persisting struggle to contain the relentless Golden Tigresses, UST ultimately secured the frame after exploiting Ateneo’s struggles to connect from both ends, 25-15.
The Blue and White turned things around offensively at the start of the second set, forcing the match to go from pillar to post by challenging the UST attackers from above the net. With the back-and-forth affair, the Blue Eagles claimed their first lead of the game, 9-8, after orchestrating a masterful 3-0 run bolstered by De Guzman and Miner.
However, Ateneo found themselves facing a 13-16 deficit after allowing a 5-1 UST run that exploited the Blue Eagles’ poor floor defense. Refusing to give up, the Katipunan-based squad took advantage of UST’s three attack errors while finding the hot-handed Pacia, who nabbed two quick points to force the set’s tenth deadlock at 22-all.
Ateneo reached the 24-point mark before UST after a momentum-shifting attack by Pacia and a monstrous block by Yvana Sulit on Poyos. However, UST’s championship experience overwhelmed the young Ateneo team, scoring four-straight set-clinching points, thanks to Margaret Altea’s back-to-back attacks and Poyos’ exclamation point, 24-26.
In the third set, the Blue Eagles stared down an early 3-6 deficit anew due to repeated misfires from the attacking front. Unwilling to fall behind, Sulit dragged Ateneo out of their slump, sending out two impressive spikes that penetrated the UST frontline.
The frame then transitioned into a defensive standoff between the two squads, with UST’s Detdet Pepito leading the charge for the Golden Tigresses and Ateneo undertaking a collective approach. Miner carried the offensive load for the Loyola Heights-based unit, consistently keeping the standstill alive with her heaters from the right pin, 15-15.
Despite the back-and-forth affair in the pivotal third frame, UST’s Poyos ultimately stole match point, with a powerful spike that ricocheted off Fujimoto’s arm, 24-22. Although the Blue Eagles extended the set, 24-24, their second game-tying attempt was then denied by Cassie Carballo, sealing their Saturday showdown with a straight-set loss, 24-26.
The Blue Eagles will aim to end their skid and avenge their first-round loss against the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws on Wednesday, April 9, at 3:00 PM at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
Box scores:
Ateneo (0): Miner – 13, De Guzman – 12, Pacia – 7, Sulit – 6, Chuatico – 4, Montoro – 1
UST (3): Poyos – 16, Jurado -10, Altea – 10, Hilongo – 8, Abbu – 5, Carballo – 5, Unekwe – 1
Set scores:
Ateneo-UST: 15-25, 24-26, 24-26
Current Standings (W/L)
- NU Lady Bulldogs (9-1)
- DLSU Lady Spikers (7-3)
- UST Golden Tigresses (7-4)
- FEU Lady Tamaraws (6-4)
- UP Fighting Maroons (5-5)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (4-7)
- AdU Lady Falcons (3-7)
- UE Lady Red Warriors (0-10)
