Martin San Diego | FCF
A supposedly rebuilding team broke the monopoly in the country’s biggest volleyball stage — through the eye of the needle.
Ateneo de Manila University completed a historic reversal of their thrice-to-beat disadvantage, conquering three-time champion De La Salle University, 25-23, 26-24, 25-21, in Game Four of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 76 women’s volleyball finals Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“We play happy!,” screamed rookie Ateneo head coach Anusorn Tai Bundit, who inherited a team that saw the departure of the so-called Fab Four core of Fille Cainglet, Gretchen Ho, Jem Ferrer, and Dzi Gervacio from last year.
With the championship, the Lady Eagles became the first volleyball team to overcome a thrice-to-beat disadvantage and the lowest seeded women’s volleyball team to win the championship.
En route to the championship, third seed Ateneo had to beat Adamson University in a playoff for the right to face the twice-to-beat National University.
The Lady Eagles then edged the Lady Bulldogs in two games comprising of four sets each.
The Lady Spikers, on the other hand, went straight to the finals by sweeping the elimination round and earned a thrice-to-beat advantage and even went ahead, 2-1, to force Ateneo to overcome two do-or-die games.
All in all, the Lady Eagles had to overcome five do-or-die games to get their first championship, and they did this without erstwhile third leading scorer and main middle hitter Ana Gopico.
MORE PHOTOS: ADMU vs DLSU Game 4 photo gallery
With season most valuable player (MVP) Alyssa Valdez playing with ferocity, the Lady Eagles surged ahead at the first set and exploited the Lady Spikers’ vulnerability at the utility position, erecting leads a 15-10 cushion before neutralizing La Salle’s counter-attack with three straight points by Jia Morado, Michelle Morente, and Valdez to end the set at 25-23.
The Lady Eagles though played a tad too casual in the second set, succumbing to an array of errors while La Salle’s substitute utility hitter Denden Tan stepped up with two spikes for an 8-3 lead as the Lady Spikers seemed to have recovered their old form.
However, a quick hit by Aerial Patnongon started a five-point run by the Lady Eagles as the high-flying duo of Ella de Jesus and Michelle Morente pierced La Salle’s net defense with powerful and well-angled spikes to regain momentum.
La Salle then launched a counter-offensive as graduating middle hitter Aby Marano connected on two running spikes and two aces for a 17-10 lead.
Unsteady net defense and spiking dampened La Salle’s big lead though as Ateneo crawled back through the Lady Spikers’ errors and setter Jia Morado’s varied sets as the Lady Eagles, down 21-24, scored three straight points to extend the set.
An uncontested power spike by Valdez and a single block by Amy Ahomiro to Marano’s spike completed Ateneo’s Houdini act, 26-24.
The third set had both teams trading spikes and after an 11-10 edge, the Lady Eagles scored eight straight points as Morente, Valdez, and de Jesus unleashed their strongest spikes and unsettling La Salle’s floor coverage and net defense. It was an insurmountable lead that it staved off any comeback attempts by the defending champs.
“A no pressure demeanor worked well for us unlike last year, when we’re pressured to do good in the finals because we were strong on paper,” said Valdez, who scored Ateneo’s last three points and led her team with 21 points and 12 excellent digs. She was named Finals Most Valuable Player.
“When the season started, we just wanted to play well. We didn’t expect we’ve gone this far, we’ve exceeded expectation, and because of this we played with less pressure on us,” commented the rookie setter Morado, the only Ateneo player who was never benched in the Finals. She had four points and 24 excellent sets.
On the flipside, the Lady Spikers were led by Ara Galang with 11 points and Tan with five kills and two blocks.
MORE PHOTOS: ADMU vs DLSU Game 4 photo gallery
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