THE ATENEO Women’s Volleyball Team folded under the University of Perpetual Help System (UPHSD) Lady Altas in straight sets, 16-25, 28-30, 19-25. The match was held earlier today, August 31, at the Paco Arena, Manila.
This loss situates the Blue Eagles at a 0-3 win-loss standing in the elimination round of the 2025 V-League Collegiate Challenge.
Opening the set strong, Ateneo exhibited a refined attacking front. Taking advantage of Shaila Omipon’s early service error, Blue Eagle Chucel Njigha converted a down-the-line kill for a 2-0 start. Building on the momentum, Jihan Chuatico unleashed a running attack off a precise set from Team Captain Taks Fujimoto, 5-3.
The Blue Eagles’ middle blocker continued to keep the team afloat as Chuatico delivered a down-the-line hit, extending their lead to four, 9-5. However, momentum shifted to UPHSD as Ateneo errors plagued the match. To make up for lost points, Rob Silla stepped up on defense with a block at 12-9, but Njigha’s attack error three rallies later ultimately turned over the advantage to the Lady Altas, 12-13.
Refusing to give in, Alex Montoro hustled to tie the game with a cross-court kill, 14-14, but the Blue Eagles still failed to contain Geraldine Palacio’s consecutive aces at 14-18. Taking advantage of Ateneo’s unstable defense, UPHSD’s Charisse Enrico converted a quick attack, leaving the Blue and White short by six at 14-20,
As Pacia made efforts to pull closer with an off-the-block hit at 15-22, Jemalyn Menor responded with a down-the-line hit at 16-23. Unable to recover, Yssa Nisperos’ attack went long, ending the opening set at 16-25.
The second frame started with the same early offensive advantage as the previous set, with the Katipunan-based squad forging an upper hand through KC Cortez’s service ace, 2-0. Rosal Selga then rode the wave with a block to pad the gap by three, 5-2. Despite the initial dominance, Ateneo yielded to Lady Altas Geraldine Palacio’s monstrous block, tying the game at 7-7.
In an attempt to recover, Njigha dropped a quick attack at 9-8 to reclaim the lead. Gena Hora then furthered the divide by six with a down-the-line hit, 17-11. Sustaining their play, Ana Hermosura came out late to anchor the Blue Eagles at 18-14.
Ateneo’s rookie outside hitter made her presence known with consecutive offensive conversions, challenging Perpetual with a 21-16 cushion. Despite Hermosura’s dominant act, the Loyola Heights-based unit failed to maintain their tempo due to errors in floor defense.
Nearing the end of the second canto, Ateneo gave away free points due to more lapses as Chuatico’s mishit cut the advantage to two, 22-20. Grabbing the opportunity, Perpetual’s Charisse Enrico manned the floor to reach a 24-24 deadlock. With both teams feeding off of each other’s slips in the extended set, the Blue Eagles eventually lost hold and gave the set away at 28-30.
With rising stakes, Njigha remained consistent in the third set with her early heroics, delivering a down-the-line attack at 1-0. Nisperos then aided the opposite hitter, converting a cross-court kill at 4-3. Staying steady, Montoro added on a down-the-line hit to keep the margin up by one, 8-7.
As the Blue and White kept the fight alive, Njigha led the team through a running attack at 11-10. However, Dona De Leon’s service error at 13-14 altered the squad’s direction in the canto.
Trying to catch up, Montoro converted a down-the-line kill to claw back at 15-17. De Leon then chipped in a point with an offensive attack of her own, closing the margin by three, 18-21. Regardless, Ateneo failed to follow through, finishing the match at 19-25 after an attack error by Nisperos.
Looking to end their scoreless stretch, the Blue Eagles will take on the Arellano University Lady Chiefs on Wednesday, September 3, at 10:00 AM, in the same venue.
Set scores:
Ateneo-UPHSD: 16-25, 28-30, 19-25
Current Standings (W-L):
- ADU Lady Falcons (5-0)
- FEU Lady Tamaraws (4-1)
- DLS-CSB Lady Blazers (3-2)
- CSJL Lady Knights (2-2)
- UPHSD Lady Altas (2-4)
- MU Lady Cardinals (1-4)
- AU Lady Chiefs (1-2)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (0-3)
