THE ATENEO Lady Eagles suffered defeat against Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws in three straight sets, 18-25, 19-25, 22-25, on Wednesday, August 31 at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
FEU piled pressure on the Blue and White from the get-go, pulling ahead by five points in the first seven points played (1-6). Despite conceding two back-to-back service aces to FEU team captain Mary Palma and Bernadeth Pons, the Lady Eagles were determined to keep the scores tight; a steady six-point deficit remained as both teams exchanged services. A string of great team performances finished by Isabel De Leon and Kassandra Gequillana saw Ateneo pulling to within three points of FEU (17-20), but a drop in their intensity saw them give up the first set.
After a group huddle with Coaches Anusorn Bundit and Parley Tupaz, including former teammate Alyssa Valdez, the Lady Eagles looked determined to gain a set back. Team Captain Mich Morente led by example with a huge spike to claim the first point of the second set, only to lose footing to the resolute Tamaraws after consecutive miscommunications (1-3). While the Blue and White trailed the Green and Gold in the initial stages, they seemed to find their rhythm as Ana Gopico and Pauline Gaston claimed impressive winners to take Ateneo a step towards winning the set (19-17). A late collapse in performance and communication, as had happened in the first set, was once again the story for their eventual loss in the second.
The third set saw FEU start strongly once again, with the Tamaraws claiming all of the first six points, two points care of Cayuna service aces (0-6). For the third consecutive set, the Lady Eagles dug deep to claim necessary points to keep the game reachable. From a steady seven-point gap between the two sides (12-19), the Lady Eagles managed to make several winners to pull back within the game just in time (22-23), care of an inspired team performance and some De Leon magic. But after the tense fightback, the Blue Eagles were defeated once again with Tamaraws captain Palma serving the last serve of the game.
Although the encounter with the Tamaraws was disappointing for the Blue and Whites, there were some positives to take from the defeat; Gopico and De Leon proved outstanding at producing offensive output, contributing eight points each. The Lady Eagles were also able to produce an exceptional defensive performance, even trumping FEU in terms of receptions and digs. Libero Maria Tan claimed an impressive tally of 13 excellent digs and 14 excellent receptions, while team captain Morente contributed with 12 digs and eight receptions.
Following their defeat to the Lady Tamaraws, the Lady Eagles will face San Sebastian College-Recoletos (SSC-R) on Saturday, September 3 in a bid to reach the final four.
Box Scores:
Ateneo: Gopico-9, De Leon-8, Samonte-7, Morente-6, Gaston-6, Gequillana-6
FED: Palma-13, Basas-13, Pons-10, Guino-o-8, Malabanan-6, Cayuna-4, Negrito-2
