THE ATENEO Lady Eagles remain undefeated in their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 77 run as they overpowered the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws in three sets, 25-15, 25-16, 25-17, on Saturday, November 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Ateneo now has a 3-0 win-loss record after clinching three consecutive straight-set victories in the elimination round.
The early part of the first set featured a heated exchange between the two teams. FEU’s Toni Basas battled with Ella de Jesus in the offensive department, while rookie Bea de Leon matched up with Rem Palma in the blocking area. Both teams refused to let the opponent gain a considerable lead. With the score at a tally of 8-all in the set, neither team has advanced by more than one point.
The Blue and White eventually managed to escape through a Julia Morado dump that sparked the 4-0 run for the team. FEU then started to have problems in reception and were unable to set up offensively with strategic attacks. Ateneo took advantage by setting Amy Ahomiro up for quick attacks, giving off a 6-0 run that ended at 22-14.
Bernadeth Pons momentarily ended the FEU scoring drought, but their continuous miscommunication inside the court hindered them from gaining further points. Alyssa Valdez ultimately sealed the deal for the first set, ending the round at 25-15.
FEU recuperated from their first set loss through Palma and Charm Simborio, who both took charge of the team’s overall offensive play. While Ateneo initially held a significant 6-point lead, their hustle allowed for a 5-0 run that brought FEU within one at 15-16.
Ateneo Head Coach Anusorn “Tai” Bundit then decided to change the gameplay by introducing rookie Jhoana Maraguinot. Her entrance into the playing field rattled the FEU defense, as she immediately clinched straight points off two piercing hits. This extended Ateneo’s lead to three at 18-15, and the Lady Eagles held on until the set ended at 25-16.
Ateneo then cruised through the final set of the match care of cross-court hits by Valdez and several reception errors from the disgruntled FEU side. While Simborio consistently hustled to gain momentum for the team, her efforts were not enough to offset the 8-point lead the Lady Eagles managed to maintain throughout the set. Morado’s service ace finally capped the set and match at 25-17.
The Lady Eagles had 50 markers won on attacks, 24 points ahead of FEU’s 26. They also tallied four points on blocks and three on service aces.
Team Captain Valdez topped the team in scoring with 16 points, followed up by rookie De Leon with 10, De Jesus with nine, Ahomiro with seven, Morado with five and Michelle Morente with four. Rookie Maraguinot also notched a tally of five in her first game in the UAAP. Morado distributed the ball with 42 excellent sets while libero Denden Lazaro notched 12 excellent digs.
Valdez shared that the reason behind the team’s victorious run early in the season is their focused attitude. “I think that the team has only one mindset, which is one game at at a time. It helps us to be more focused on the things we should do on and off the court. Also, I think the team is doing well because of the teamwork that we have. We enjoy and love to play with each other,” she quipped.
The team will look to continue their winning streak as they face off against University of Santo Tomas next Saturday, 4 PM, at the Fil Oil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
Scores:
ADMU: Valdez – 16, De Leon – 10, De Jesus – 9, Ahomiro – 7, Maraguinot – 5, Morado – 5, Morente – 4, Madayag – 1
FEU: Palma – 7, Pons – 7, Simborio – 6, Basas – 5, Malabanan – 4, Guino-o – 2, Casugud – 1
Updated: Nov. 30, 12:55 AM
