DESPITE FIELDING a short-handed lineup, the Ateneo Blue Eagles maintained a spirited front over the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers at the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87, 15-25, 14-25, 25-20, 19-25. This match marked Ateneo’s first set win over their age-old rivals since Season 84. The match was held earlier today at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
This loss keeps the Blue Eagles at seventh in the Women’s Volleyball tournament standings with a win-loss record of 1-5, putting their season campaign on edge as the end of the first round approaches.
Team Captain Lyann De Guzman pioneered the Blue and White with a team-high 16 points, 13 of which came from attacks. Meanwhile, AC Miner followed closely with 13 markers. On the other hand, DLSU’s Shevana Laput was hailed the Player of the Game with a game-high 25 points.
With Sobe Buena announced to be sitting out for the season, the Blue Eagles entered the floor to play with a purpose. Miner showed off her versatility right at the onset of the opening frame, converting points through both offense and defense. The veteran player’s consecutive blocks manned Ateneo’s defense to a three-point edge, 3-1.
The Blue and White maintained their competitive pace as they encountered persistent deadlocks between their Taft counterparts. Despite Angel Canino’s explosive attacks for DLSU, De Guzman’s attack from the pipe preserved the Blue Eagles’ lead at 7-3.
With a goal to extend their leg, Ateneo fed off of DLSU’s errors that led to a 11-9 command. However, the Katipunan-based squad fell victim to their own errors in the middle of the set, turning the tables for the two teams, 11-14.
As the Taft-based squad reigned supreme in defense, the Blue Eagles continued to suffer from attack errors, extending the deficit to 14-20. Despite efforts to reclaim the advantage, the Lady Spikers took control of the floor as the Canino-Laput duo propelled La Salle to take the opening set, 15-25.
The Lady Spikers immediately established their defensive ground in the second set to deny Ateneo’s attackers multiple scoring entries. Unable to navigate past the blockade of Alleiah Malaluan and Amie Provido, the Blue and White found themselves staring at an early deficit, 2-6.
The Blue Eagles’ woes continued to swell as La Salle capitalized off the squad’s errors and miscues on the defensive end. Back-to-back service aces from Laput then intensified the Lady Spikers’ hold of the lead, 12-4.
Determined to keep the Ateneo within striking distance, De Guzman continued to produce points via sharp attacks from the left wing, 7-13. However, DLSU’s Malaluan would rival the Atenean skipper’s barrage, responding with a run of her own to keep the Blue and White at bay, 15-7.
Despite efforts to trim their rivals’ ballooning advantage, the Blue Eagles struggled to contain Canino and Laput’s backrow and down-the-line hits, 11-21. With momentum evidently on La Salle’s side, Ateneo ultimately surrendered the set after a Provido runner, 14-25.
Desperate to reverse the outcome, Miner manned Ateneo’s side of the court once again to gain the upper hand in the third frame at 3-1. In spite of DLSU’s offensive efforts, the Blue Eagles managed to respond by forcing deadlocks, thanks to De Guzman’s steering attacks, 9-all.
Determined to take control of the game, De Guzman scored via an off-the-block kill to place the Blue Eagles at a 17-13 advantage. Regardless of the leverage, the Loyola Heights-based squad refused to be complacent. Miner and De Guzman sustained their attacking pace to reach set point at 24-18, which the Blue Eagles eventually won via a Taks Fujimoto set to Yvana Sulit from the right wing, 25-20.
Miner’s variety of kills paced the Blue Eagles’ offensive early in the fourth canto, 5-2. However, the veteran’s outburst was halted by DLSU’s 4-0 mini run, powered by Laput’s sharp hits and service aces, which brought the match to a standstill, 9-9.
Both teams engaged in a back-and-forth tussle towards the midway of the set, with De Guzman’s cheeky tip momentarily putting Ateneo ahead, 13-12. Not to be outdone, DLSU activated their middle attackers to create scoring opportunities and retake the lead, 18-15.
Building on Laput’s newfound rhythm and costly attacking errors from De Guzman and Alex Montoro, DLSU built a comfortable cushion at the backend of the frame, 23-17. The Blue Eagles sought to spark a comeback, but ultimately conceded the match, with Provido’s kill block securing the victory for the Lady Spikers, 19-25.
Hoping to end the first round of eliminations on a high note, the Blue Eagles will go up against the winless University of the East Lady Red Warriors next Saturday, March 15, at 1:00 PM at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Box scores:
Ateneo (1): De Guzman – 16, Miner – 13, Sulit – 7, Pacia – 6, Chuatico – 2, Cortez – 1, Silla – 1, Fujimoto – 1
DLSU (3): Laput – 25, Canino – 17, Malaluan – 12, Provido – 7, Reterta – 3, Del Castillo – 2
Set scores:
Ateneo-DLSU: 15-25, 14-25, 25-20, 19-25
Current Standings (W-L):
- NU Lady Bulldogs (6-0)
- UST Golden Tigresses (5-1)
- FEU Lady Tamaraws (4-2)
- DLSU Lady Spikers (3-2)
- AdU Lady Falcons (2-4)
- UP Fighting Maroons (2-4)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (1-5)
- UE Lady Red Warriors (0-6)
