Game on Saturday (Mall of Asia Arena)
4 p.m. – Ateneo vs La Salle (rubber match)
MANILA, Philippines - In the end, it was a question of heart.
And spirit. Desire. Momentum shift.
A two-and-a half hour drama-fraught duel that hung in the balance up to the last serve only to end in a referee’s call.
This is one volleyball match that belonged to the sports archive this early and which will surely rank high in the long storied rivalry between Ateneo and La Salle.
The Lady Eagles soared and looked majestic with a two-set lead but the Lady Spikers came back like the seasoned champs that they were, sweeping the next two sets and dictating the tempo and tone in the deciding fifth set and were three points away from a record four-peat.
But the desperate Lady Eagles made one last stand, fought back from four points down, 8-12, in the decider and finally forced this thriller of a series to a fitting sudden death with a classic 25-21, 25-23, 18-25, 16-25, 17-15 victory last night.
A big crowd of 18,095 at the MOA Arena savored every twist and turns between the two rivals in a showdown that ironically ended in a referee’s call.
As the La Salle fans started to whoop it up and chant “four-peat, four-peat†with the Lady Spikers up in the deciding set, 12-8, Ateneo went about its business and willed its way back into the thick of things.
Their resilience and never-say-die spirit in full display, the Lady Eagles painstakingly chipped away the Lady Spikers’ lead. Trailing, 14-15, Ateneo stopped the La Sallians from securing championship point, scoring the next three points to steal the set, the match for a shot at history.
From facing thrice-to-beat disadvantage against the seemingly invincible Lady Spikers, the Lady Eagles thus forced a rubber match for the UAAP Season 76 crown on Saturday.
“It was belief in ourselves and our heart-strong attitude that won it,†said Ateneo’s Thai coach Anusorn Bundit.
Ateneo outduelled La Salle in the first two sets to get the big cushion, but La Salle furiously fought back and with Ara Galang taking charge, handily won the next two as they seized momentum heading into the deciding set.
Not letting up, the La Sallians inched closer into a cherished fourth consecutive crown with Galang punching in successive points for a 12-8 tear, triggering what turned out to be premature celebration from the La Salle gallery.
Ateneo got back and even reached the hill, 14-13, but DLSU regained the upperhand and inched closer to the championship point at 15-14. But AdMU skipper Alyssa Valdez tied the count with a hit from the flanks afterwhich Michelle Morente scored one off the block as Ateneo this time closed in on match point.
In the ensuing play, La Salle setter Kim Fajardo was called for a violation, handing the victory to AdMU and leaving DLSU disputing the call. Commissioner Otie Camangian said he will review the tape once more but hinted that initial viewing showed two violations – a double and illegal attack by a back-row player.
“Laging sinasabi sa amin ni coach hangga’t hindi pa nakaka-15 o 25 ang kalaban, di pa tapos ang laban (Coach told us it wasn’t over until the opponent got the 15th point). We just played happy, we had teamwork and everyone contributed especially on defense),†said Valdez, who topscored with 22 points.
“Na-instill talaga sa amin ni coach yung heart strong (The heart strong attitude that coach is instilling in us carried us through),†she added.
Galang sizzled with 28 points for La Salle but her effort went for naught as the Taft-based squad will have to defend the crown and achieve a rare four-peat in a winner-take-all on Saturday.