THE ATENEO Blue Eagles team struggled to redeem themselves against the San Sebastian College-Recoletos (SSC-R) Lady Stags in the 2025 Shakey’s Super League Preseason Unity Cup, 25-19, 25-20, 17-25, 20-25, 8-15. The five-setter took place earlier today, October 10, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in the City of Manila.

Eager to capture their second win of the first round, converted middle blocker Jihan Chuatico placed the Blue Eagles on the board with a well-placed hit, 1-1. Capitalizing on the error-laden play of their opponents, Ateneo built an early advantage through another Chuatico point, 5-1.

Joining Chuatico in the strong Blue Eagle frontline, Ana Hermosura tacked on back-to-back points to extend the Atenean advantage, 8-3. Despite the Lady Stags’ quick 2-0 run cutting the deficit, 8-5, strong net defense exhibited by Ateneo’s Dona Mae De Leon steadied the ship, 9-5. Frustrating their opposition with their relentless floor defense, the Blue Eagles continued to build momentum as Chuatico’s cross-court attack tagged the line, 13-7. 

However, the Blue Eagles struggled to maintain their advantage, falling victim to a 0-4 run capped by Kleiner Abraham’s off-the-block attack, 13-11. In need of a momentum-shifting run to turn the tide, the squad turned to Hermosura again, as the opposite hitter converted another attack, 17-13. 

A thunderous attack through the middle by De Leon heightened the team’s momentum as the Katipunan-based unit extended their lead, 20-14. As the teams exchanged errors and attacks, a final quick attack delivered by Rob Silla awarded the Blue Eagles the first set, 25-19.

Despite a prominent opening run, the Blue Eagles fell out of sync early in the second canto. Ateneo struggled to contain Zenith Deposoy’s down-the-line attack, handing the first blood to the Lady Stags, 1-0. To recover, Gena Hora chipped in a drop ball, 2-1.

Regardless of Selga’s efforts to bounce back, the middle blocker committed a misreception, allowing SSC-R to gain the upper hand, 3-4. The disjointed offensive rhythm continued to afflict the Blue and White’s play as Selga then missed her serve, 4-6.

Still struggling to find their way back, Ateneo had no answer for Divine Garcia’s cross-court kill, suffering a five-point deficit, 4-9. To stop the bleeding for her squad, Hora forcefully ended the Lady Stags’ 5-0 run with a cross-court kill of her own, 5-9. Despite SSC-R Garcia’s efforts to disrupt the Blue Eagles’ newfound flow, Yssa Nisperos came into the picture, executing an off-the-block kill at 7-12.

Igniting her team’s execution, the tenacious Oopen sSpiker stepped up both on offense and defense to inch closer, 11-12. Nisperos did not stop there as she towered over SSC-R, leveling the score at 13-13. Francine Baltazar then chipped in with back-to-back aces for a three-point edge, 16-13.

With confidence surging, Ateneo’s Hora found a way through the block to prolong her squad’s upper hand at 18-15. Capitalizing on Lady Stags’ faulty play, Chucel Njigha fueled a cross-court attack, 21-17. However, the Katipunan-based squad briefly went off balance, letting SSC-R’s Garcia pull closer with an off-the-block attack, 23-18. Refusing to give the lead up, Nisperos manned Ateneo’s front and eventually took the set, catching the blockers’ hands at 25-20.

One set away from a resounding win, the Blue Eagles started the third set on the wrong foot, quickly falling behind  due to the persistent Lady Stag’s persistent offense , 0-4. Finally breaking the silence, Hermosura’s off-the-block attack gave Ateneo their first point of the set, 1-4. However, the squad from Loyola Heights’ communication issues proved to be an obstacle, as the team’s errors resulted in a five-point hole, 2-7. 

Relentless in their pursuit, however, the Blue Eagles stormed back into the competition, as Selga’s service ace, coupled with Chuatico’s strong play from the wing, cut the deficit to one, 7-8. Yet, the Atenean momentum was quickly derailed, as a thunderous regalo point and an off-the-block attack from Lady Stag Katherine Santos restored Ateneo’s deficit, 9-14. 

Hermosura’s service ace midway through the set hoped to spark a comeback, 12-17, but another slew of errors slowed down the Blue and White once more, 12-20. Now dealing with their largest deficit of the match, the Blue Eagles looked to build confidence heading into the fourth set, as Silla’s attack through the middle saved a set point, 17-24. Ultimately, Hermosura’s spike was denied above the tape, giving Ateneo their first set loss of the match, 17-25. 

Reasserting their command, Nisperos set the tone for the fourth canto as she used the opposition’s blockers to her advantage, 1-0.  As an offensive showdown sparked, Chuatico joined in with a down-the-line hit at 3-1. Hermosura then converted a cross-court attack to maintain a two-point advantage, 5-3. The Outside Hitter remained in top form, delivering an off-the-block kill at 7-5.

Even after a masterful offensive showing, Ateneo failed to handle Santos’ cross-court attack, narrowing the gap at 8-6. The ladies in blue felt the presence of the Lady Stags’ main scorer, enduring a two-point margin from her consecutive markers, 8-10. Still, Nisperos refused to back down, forcing an 11-11 stalemate through a running attack. Regardless, the 23-year-old hitter fell victim to her own errors, losing control at 12-14.

As the Blue Eagles became troubled by a sluggish performance, De Leon made amends with a quick attack to inch closer by three, 15-18. With Lady Stags’ Gonzales and Balajadia taking offensive charge, De Leon continued to shoulder the load with a down-the-line hit at 17-21. 

In spite of Ateneo’s drive, they succumbed to Santos’ successive conversions to reach set point, 19-24. Nisperos still tried to follow through with a cross-court hit, however, San Sebastian’s Santos closed the set with a down-the-line attack at 20-25.

Entering the fifth set in need of a victory, an explosive hammer from Hora and setter KC Cortez’s service ace surged Ateneo ahead, 2-0. However, the Blue Eagles’ momentum hastily fell apart, as a 4-0 run from the Lady Stags suddenly had Ateneo behind, 2-4. Following a brief exchange of errors to keep within striking distance, 4-6, back-to-back attacking errors from the Blue and White had the match slowly slipping away, 4-8. 

Finally stopping the bleeding, Hermosura rose for an off-the-block point, ending their scoring drought, 5-11. Following another point from Hermosura and an an attacking error by the Lady Stags, the Blue Eagles pulled ever closer. Despite the late spark, however, the Blue and White’s comeback attempt ran out of gas, as Zel Tsunashima’s attack sailed out of bounds, 8-15. 

Even after the defeat, the Blue Eagles’ Shakey’s Super League Preseason Unity Cup campaign will move into the second round after securing a higher point quotient than the other teams in Pool D. The team’s next match is yet to be announced.  

Set scores:

Ateneo-SSC-R: 25-19, 25-20, 17-25, 20-25, 8-15