FUELED BY rookie Alexia Montoro’s stunning debut, the Ateneo Women’s Volleyball Team claimed a decisive victory against the Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Lady Generals in a set sweep romp, 25-12, 25-21, 25-12. The Blue Eagles’ fourth Shakey’s Super League (SSL) game was held yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in the City of Manila.
With the win, Ateneo ends the first round with a 3-1 win-loss record—currently good for second in the SSL’s Pool A standings.
Montoro was hailed as the Player of the Game for her seven-point outing and significant contributions to the team’s floor defense. Meanwhile, veteran outside hitter Jennifer Delos Santos led the Blue Eagles’ scoring with 10 points.
Looking to make a statement, the Blue Eagles hounded the Generals with forceful and calculated attacks to open the contest, with a monster AC Miner block giving Ateneo the early momentum.
Team Captain Lyann De Guzman and opposite hitter Geezel Tsunashima further bolstered the Blue and White’s opening surge on offense, as both spikers consistently unleashed aggressive hits to hand them a 4-1 advantage. Further exploiting the Lady Generals’ defensive lapses, setter KC Cortez’s seamless passes to Miner delivered productive kills to keep Ateneo comfortably ahead, 9-5.
However, the Blue Eagles fell to defensive miscues midway through the set, as EAC strengthened their synergy on both ends. Despite facing a scare, the Blue and White remained composed as they rediscovered their offensive synergy to take the first set in authoritative fashion, 25-12.
After falling 0-3 due to consecutive hitting errors to kickstart the second set, the Blue Eagles fiercely responded by mounting a six-point run. Ateneo maintained this momentum, stretching their advantage to 14-8 after big plays by rookies Montoro and Jihan Chuatico.
While the Generals made quick adjustments to cut Ateneo’s lead to 16-13, Delos Santos stopped the bleeding after unleashing a powerful kill. With Montoro’s standout defensive efforts and Chuatico’s lethal offensive firepower, the Blue Eagles ultimately took the second set, 25-21, courtesy of a hitting error by the Generals.
Looking to seal a sweep, Ateneo started out the third set stronger with a pair of attacks from Montoro and Delos Santos, 3-1. Despite the game’s offensive tempo being grinded to a halt due to error-laden plays from both squads, the Blue Eagles embraced the change of pace as they captured a 9-6 advantage.
Following a hit from Delos Santos, the Blue and White broke the game wide open with their red-hot offense as they rode several unanswered scoring runs, 18-8. After briefly trading points with the Generals at the tail end of the set, Cortez finally clinched the win for the Blue Eagles with three spectacular service aces, 25-12.
With their 3-1 record, Ateneo now awaits the result of the match between Arellano University and National University to finalize their bid to qualify for the next round.
ADDENDUM: The league announced via a press release that the Ateneo Blue Eagles will face University of Santo Tomas in the second round on Sunday, October 20, at 11:00 AM in the same venue.
Box scores:
Ateneo (3): Delos Santos – 10, Chuatico – 7, Montoro – 7, Njigha – 5, Tsunashima – 5, Cortez – 4, Miner – 4, Silla – 4, Buena – 3, De Guzman – 2, Sulit – 1
EAC (0): Razonable – 7, Alimen – 4, Domo – 4, Bodonal – 2, Ramos – 2, Dayanan – 1, Formento – 1, Sayago – 1
Set Scores:
Ateneo-EAC: 25-12, 25-21, 25-12
Pool A Standings (W-L):
- NU Lady Bulldogs (3-0)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (3-1)
- AU Lady Chiefs (2-1)
- SBU Lady Red Spikers (1-3)
- EAC Lady Generals (0-3)
