UNABLE TO end their three-game losing skid, the Ateneo Women’s Volleyball Team (AWVT) fell to the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers in four sets, 12-25, 25-21, 15-25, 17-25. The battle between the storied rivals took place earlier today, March 1, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Following this defeat, the Blue Eagles dropped to a 0-4 win-loss record in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines’s (UAAP) Season 88 Women’s Volleyball Tournament standings.
Rookie superstar Ana Hermosura shined bright despite the loss, tallying 18 attack points to lead the Ateneo offense. Veteran Jlo Delos Santos also tacked on 14 kills and one ace.
The opening frame began in a tight exchange between the rivals, with the Blue Eagles matching the undefeated Lady Archers point for point and forcing an early deadlock, 5-5. Ateneo showed composure on both ends of the floor, but their promising start was challenged as they slipped into a four-point deficit as they struggled to contain the offensive surge of DLSU’s Angel Canino and Amie Provido, 8-12.
Off a timeout, Delos Santos temporarily stopped the bleeding for Blue Eagles, trimming the gap to two with her back-to-back attacks, 10-12. However, unable to sustain this momentum, the Blue Eagles absorbed a 9-2 throbbing from DLSU’s smooth sailing offense, putting them at a 12-21 disadvantage.
Despite their efforts to regroup, the Blue Eagles were unable to find defensive answers against the combined scoring prowess of Lady Archers Katrina Del Castillo, Shane Reterta, and Provido, ultimately dropping the first set at 12-25.
Hermosura kicked off the second set in resounding fashion, delivering a back-row attack to give Ateneo an early advantage, 0-1. Despite briefly trailing, 3-4, the Blue Eagles stabilized themselves by coursing their attacks to sophomore Jihan Chuatico who responded accordingly, 8-6.
Continuing her outstanding second set performance, Chuatico’s kill block on DLSU’s Reterta kept the momentum with the Blue and White, 10-8. With both teams exchanging blows high above the tape, the tandem of Zey Pacia and Chuatico continued to find the gaps in the Lady Spikers’ defense, extending the Ateneo lead to three, 16-13. However, the Lady Spikers battled back, as superstar Canino willed her team back into a deadlock, 20-all.
As both teams grappled for the lead, newly inserted Team Captain Taks Fujimoto delivered a service ace to swing momentum back to the Blue Eagles, 21-20. Moments later, after multiple attacking errors from the Lady Spikers, Ateneo turned to Hermosura for another off-the-block point to give Ateneo the second set win, 25-21.
Looking to continue their rampage in the third set, Delos Santos notched two block breakers, establishing early control at 3-2. However, Ateneo then fell victim to the DLSU wall–exploiting the Blue Eagles’ lacking floor coverage, 3-7.
While the AWVT orchestrated a mini 3-1 run at 6-8, their defensive lapses persisted as the Lady Archers assembled a 6-1 run fueled by three attacks, 7-14. After making adjustments to their game plan, Ateneo narrowed the deficit to five, 12-17, courtesy of Delos Santos’ two strikes and an ace.
Refusing to back down, Hermosura traded hits with Canino, as both scored two points each, 14-19. From there, the Katipunan-based squad could not keep pace with the Lady Archers as DLSU sealed the set, 15-25, after a commanding 6-1 rally.
The Blue Eagles struggled at the onset of the fourth set, falling behind 2-6 after Lady Spiker Cabradilla’s service ace. Still struggling to find any rhythm, another ace from Cabradilla destabilized the Ateneo defense, as their deficit increased to eight points, 2-10.
Finally putting an end to their scoring drought, Hermosura tacked on her 14th point of the match with a cross-court kill, 5-12. However, DLSU’s towering blocking presence quickly snuffed out this flame, with Provido denying access at the net to re-establish Ateneo’s disadvantage, 9-16.
Despite Hermosura showcasing her outstanding talent to cut the deficit, another array of errors from Ateneo put the match further out of reach, 15-21. Delivering the final nail in the coffin, DLSU rookie Ella De Guzman notched another off-the-block point, sending Ateneo to their fourth straight loss, 17-25.
Desperate to capture their first win of the season, AWVT will go head-to-head against the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws on March 4, 3:00 PM, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Box scores:
Ateneo (1): Hermosura – 18, Delos Santos – 15, Chuatico – 7, De Leon – 5, Pacia – 5, Fujimoto – 1
DLSU (3): Canino – 21, Del Castillo – 18, Provido – 17, Reterta – 8, De Guzman – 6, Nunag – 6, Santos – 5, Cabradilla – 5
Quarter/Set scores:
Ateneo-DLSU: 12-25, 25-21, 15-25, 17-25
Current Standings (W-L):
- De La Salle Lady Spikers (4-0)
- NU Lady Bulldogs (3-1)
- UP Fighting Maroons (3-1)
- Adamson Lady Falcons (2-1)
- UST Golden Tigresses (2-2)
- FEU Lady Tamaraws (1-2)
- UE Lady Red Warriors (0-4)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (0-4)
